The Tehran prosecutor’s office has initiated legal proceedings against two journalists over their reporting on the death of 16-year-old protester Nika Shakarami.
Hadi Kasaeizadeh, editor-in-chief of Meydan-e Azadi Monthly, and Asal Dadashloo are accused of disseminating content against the regime.
A BBC World report recently revealed the existence of a “highly confidential” document, suggesting that 16-year-old Shakarami was sexually assaulted and murdered by Iranian security forces during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
In response to the BBC’s revelations, Iran’s judiciary has charged multiple journalists and media activists who disseminated the information, accusing them of broadcasting “false, insulting, content against the regime” in cyberspace.
Journalists Marzieh Mahmoudi and Mohammad Parsi are also facing charges linked to their reporting on Shakarami’s death.
The journalists are part of a larger group of media professionals targeted by the government. Since the 2022 protests, at least 79 journalists have been arrested, including two women who initially reported on the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini. Reports suggest that the number could be as high as 100.
Shakarami’s death, characterized by head injuries, recalls the murder of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in September 2022, which ignited a nationwide uprising.
Arrested by morality police for improperly wearing her hijab, Amini’s death has led to increased repression by Iran’s security forces as they attempt to suppress dissent and unrest, alongside the tightening of hijab laws as the country continues to rebel against the state’s Islamic dress code.
