Iranian journalists face new charges for violating hijab laws a day after their release from prison

Iran’s judiciary has opened a new case against two jailed female journalists for appearing without a hijab upon their temporary release from prison, the judiciary’s Mizan website reports.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, respectively sentenced to 13 and 12 years in prison for their coverage of the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in 2022, were released temporarily on Sunday after paying bail.

“After footage of the defendants without hijab was released online, a new case has been filed against them,” Mizan says referring to a video widely shared on social media showing the two women celebrating their release with family outdoors.

The death of Amini after she was held by the morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code, triggered months of nationwide anti-government protests, in one of the boldest challenges to the country’s clerical leaders in decades.