Iranian female journalists continue to report on protests despite the risks of arrest and violence.

Female journalists in Iran have been targeted by security forces since anti-government protests began in September, activist groups say.

Figures vary, but at least 17 have been arrested, an international group for press freedom says. Another puts the number about three times that or more.

Iran has been gripped by some of the biggest protests it has seen since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.

Nearly 20,000 people are estimated to have been detained since September.

More than 520 protesters have been killed by security forces in that time, according to the Iranian Human Rights Activists' News Agency (Hrana).

The most recent arrest of a female journalist was that of Elnaz Mohammadi, who works for the "reformist" newspaper Hammihan. She was released on bail on Sunday.

Ms Mohammadi is the twin sister of Elaheh Mohammadi, who works for the same newspaper and was arrested on 29 September last year. She was detained for her reporting on the funeral of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman whose death in police custody on 16 September sparked the protests. Ms Amini had been detained for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

A week before Elnaz Mohammadi was arrested, three other female journalists - Melika Hashemi, Saideh Shafiei and Mehrnoosh Zareie - were detained within the space of 48 hours.

"We're seeing an unusual number of female journalists being arrested because what sparked the protests was the mandatory hijab law and the death of a young woman because of gender discrimination," Yeganeh Rezaian, a researcher with the Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told the BBC.

"Naturally more female journalists were covering the story. Even in small towns and local newspapers women were reporting on the women-led protests that were taking place," she said.

Indeed the first journalist to publish a photo of Mahsa Amini was Niloufar Hamedi. She was arrested on 22 September and is still behind bars.

The CPJ estimates that at least 98 journalists and bloggers have been arrested, half of whom, it says, are women.

Comments

Israeli settlers have once again attacked religious minorities in the region, this time targeting a church in East Jerusalem.

According to reports, the settlers assaulted clerics and worshippers at the Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Charbel, causing damage to the property and injuring several people. This kind of behavior is not only unacceptable but also undermines efforts to promote peace and stability in the region. Attacks on religious minorities are a direct attack on religious freedom and must be condemned by all. The Israeli authorities must take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice and hold them accountable for their actions. It is also important to ensure the safety and protection of religious minorities and their places of worship, as guaranteed by international law. this incident is a sad reminder of the ongoing conflict in the region and the need for a comprehensive and just solution. It is up to all of us to work together to promote understanding, tolerance, and respect for different beliefs and cultures, and to build a brighter and more peaceful future for all.

Fights break out as Kurds protest the French government's denial of a terrorist attack

Following the murder of three Kurds in what is being considered to be a probable racist incident , there have been widespread protests in Paris. The fact that the authorities did not view the attack at a Kurdish centre as a terrorist act has enraged the Kurdish diaspora in Paris. A 69-year-old man opened fire on a crowd of individuals early on Friday morning at the Ahmet-Kaya centre on Rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement. One of the three victims is badly injured. All of the dead were Kurdish community members who passed away both inside and outside the cultural centre. Agit Polat, a spokesman for the Kurdish centre, charged that French officials "yet again failed to safeguard us... This is a terrorist attack in our eyes, according to the AFP news agency. In the afternoon, a number of protestors, largely from the Kurdish diaspora, got into a fight with the police outside the centre and in the streets close by, throwing rocks and torching trash cans. Police use...

Verbal spat between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel judicial overhaul

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, turned down United States President Joe Biden’s suggestion that the Israeli government “walks away” from a plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. A verbal spat between the two close allies took place on Wednesday. The US President and Israeli Prime Minister exchanged a few words on judicial changes in Israel. On Tuesday, reporters asked Joe Biden about Israel’s judicial overhaul planned reforms. Biden reportedly said, “I hope he (Netanyahu) walks away from it.” He said that the Israeli government “cannot continue down this road” and urged compromise on this plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. Subsequently, the Israeli PM said that his country makes its own decisions. He reportedly said in a statement, “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” Netanyahu’s latest comments came a day after he de...

Newsaholic

Search This Blog