Tehran, 11 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The award-winning Iranian journalists Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi have been pardoned, two Iranian newspapers reported on Tuesday.

All legal proceedings against Hamedi and Mohammadi have been dropped, the newspapers Shargh and Hammihan reported, citing the journalists' lawyers.

Hamedi and Mohammadi were among the first reporters in Iran to break the news of the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, in September 2022. She died while in government custody after being detained for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly.

Amini's death sparked nationwide protests against repressive policies and the Islamic system of governance in the country.

After around 17 months in prison, both women were released on bail a year ago, but unconfirmed reports in October said they would be returned to prison.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently pardoned or reduced the sentences of around 3,000 people. It was initially unclear whether the two journalists benefitted from this.

Hamedi and Mohammadi were sentenced to prison by a revolutionary court at the end of October 2023 in connection with the wave of protests, and were accused of collaborating with the United States.

According to the judiciary, this charge was dropped, but two convictions for "propaganda against the system" and "violations of national security" remained.

Their case attracted a great deal of international attention. During their jail terms, Hamedi and Mohammadi were honoured with UNESCO's World Press Freedom Prize.

Photo: MIA archive