Shirin Najafi

Shirin Najafi became an asylum seeker in Turkey in 2013 and became an admin of Amad News. Her exact arrest date is unclear but evidence indicates she was arrested almost simultaneously with Mr. Zam in Iraq. Some unconfirmed reports have mentioned her as "Soudabeh Khorsand".

Shirin Najafi's other name is Sahar and that is the name her family calls her. Some have accused her of cooperating with the IRGC Intelligence for the arrest of Rouhollah Zam. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='34412'> In an interview with the BCC, a close friend of Shirin Najafi claimed that she was already in Iran at the time of Mr. Zam's “abduction”, and that all her conversations and interviews ever since have taken place in an IRGC Intelligence room. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34401'> On this date, media close to the Iranian government said Ruhollah Zam had been arrested. IRGC published a statement to confirm the news of his arrest. These news didn’t make clear where was Mr Zam being held but unconfirmed reports said he was arrested either in Iraq by the IRGC intelligence forces. Few hours after the news came out, the Iranian government published a video in which Zam expresses remorse for his political and media activities and confesses to “collaborating” with “intelligence apparatus of foreign countries.” Many of those who have found a way out of prison after their televised confessions were broadcast, have spoken of undergoing massive torture aimed at extracting their forced confessions for camera. At the same time as Zam’s arrest, repots claimed that another member of Amad News team had been arrested but the person in question subsequently denied these reports </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34123'> “Shirin Najafi traveled to Iraq to accompany Ruhollah Zam, She had not been arrested and had no role in the arrest of Ruhollah Zam.”, Mahsa Razani, wife of Ruhollah Zam, told BBC News. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34402'> Speaking to BBC, Mahsa Razani, Zam’s wife, said he was arrested on Iraqi soil. She said that a colleague was accompanying Zam to Iraq but that “she wasn’t arrested.” She said Zam was going to Iraq after a short stop in an airport in Oman. According to Zam’s wife, she knew nothing of his whereabouts 24 hours after he reached Baghdad and his mobile phone was also out of service. After 24 hours, on October 12, Mr Zam calls France to tell his wife: “I have no internet access and I will contact you after I buy a sim card tomorrow.” This was the last conversation between the two and Zam hasn’t contacted his family from when he was arrested to then (October 16.) Speaking of their last conversation, Mrs. Razani said: “Mr. Zam was speaking with a completely unusual tone. And unfortunately in that moment, I did not get the change in tone.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34734'> According to a credible source who spoke to IPA, a few days after Ruhollah Zam was arrested, one of Shirin Najafi’s friends asked her to share her location via her mobile phone so that the friend could make sure Najafi was not under arrest. Najafi refused to do so, claiming security concerns. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34413'> <reference source='https://t.me/IranintlTV/38166'> Following the arrest of Ruhollah Zam, Shirin Najafi provided interviews to Iran International and Iran Farda TV channels. Many individuals who watched these interviews, questioned whether Najafi had been arrested on social media. On a live news show, a TV anchor asked Najafi to turn her camera around and show the audience her surroundings to prove she was free. Najafi refused to do so, claiming she was a guest at someone else’s house and did not want to violate their privacy. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34733'> According to IPA research, Shirin Najafi’s social media accounts continued to be active months after Ruhollah Zam and Shirin Najafi were arrested. It is probable that her accounts were under the control of IRGC’s Intelligence Department to carry out intelligence activities. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34414'> According to an IPA source, Shirin Najafi’s first phone contact with her family after her arrest was on March 24 or 25, 2020. She told her family that she was being held in Evin Prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34415'> According to an IPA source, Shirin Najafi’s family visited her in Section 2A of Evin prison about a month ago. Her family members described Najafi as having experienced a mental breakdown. They did not receive any information about her case. Aside from this encounter, Najafi has been deprived from seeing her family or contacting them by phone, except on very rare occasions. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34127'> <reference source='http://sahamnews.org/2020/08/311745/'> Hassan Fereshtian, Rouhollah Zam's lawyer in France and a scholar in religious studies, has released some information about how Zam was tricked into traveling to Iraq. As said by Mr. Fereshtian, "The Shiite Marja's name was misused in Rouhollah Zam's arrest." During the first days of Mr. Zam's detention, one would often hear Ali Sistani's name, a well-known Shiite Marja. Mr. Sistani's office, however, has declared any connection with the incident to be entirely untrue. The information released by Mr. Fereshtian shows that the IRGC had used Mr. Sistani’s name without informing him: “ Rouhollah had a meeting with me 22 hours before he was detained and talked to me about his meeting with Ayatollah Sistani and his support for the establishment of a television station.”Hassan Fereshtian had, in a friendly way and at times angrily, warned Rouhollah Zam about this security trick: “This is a trap! Does Mr. Sistani belong to the opposition? How can you believe his willingness to support this TV station’s activities?” One of my companions went to Iraq two weeks ago to look into the situation and has told me there’s nothing to worry about”, Zam told his lawyer to reassure him that it would be safe for him to go. According to the available information, the person mentioned above might have been Shirin Najafi, one of Amad News’ missing operators. Hassan Fereshtian referred to the charge of “acquisition of property against sharia law” in Mr. Zam’s case. “Receiving financial aid from the French government is an instance of this charge. Such grants are available to people with specific conditions, for example, unemployed people.” The financial help he has received over the course of seven years has been equal to the sum the Islamic Republic has announced (under the title of unlawful property). This lawyer has relied on this fact to express his opinion. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34403'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%ad%e2%80%8c%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%8c-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b2%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%87%e2%80%8c%d9%86%da%af%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d9%85%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81-%d8%ad%da%a9%d9%88/'> Rouhollah Zam, journalist and the founder of Amad News, was executed this morning. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34125'> <reference source='http://bit.ly/3ni3zjO'> Speaking in a press conference, Judiciary’s Spokesperson Qolamhossein Esmayili said that Ruhollah Zam’s case involved more than one person and the case has wide-ranging dimensions. were expected to come out of it. He also confirmed Shirin Najafi’s arrest, adding that she was already sentenced and her case was now in the appeals stage. Esmayili stated: “Six more people were charged in this case and their sentences have also been issued. They have been sentenced to between two and 10 years in prison.” he added. However, he did not name these people, the charges against them, or any evidence for their alleged crimes. According to Esmayili, one more person will be tried next week in relation to this case while there are others charged in the case who are not yet in custody. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34121'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-features-55545754'> In an interview with the BCC, a close friend of Shirin Najafi claimed that she was already in Iran at the time of Mr. Zam's “abduction”, and that all her conversations and interviews ever since have taken place in an IRGC Intelligence room. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34352'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d8%ad%da%a9%d9%85-%d8%b3%d9%86%da%af%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%b4%db%8c%d8%b1%db%8c%d9%86-%d9%86%d8%ac%d9%81%db%8c/'> An IPA source close to the case said that those close to Shirin Najafi believe that she has received a very harsh sentence. According to this source, Najafi’s family first found out about her conviction in the media. They went to the Judiciary but were denied information on Najafi’s sentence. . Najafi’s family and friends are worried about the severity of her sentence given the lack of information and transparency. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='36651'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2021/hranews/a-30916/'> After putting up the bail of 55 billion rials, Shirin Najafi went on medical leave with an ankle monitor. HRANA reported that Judge Salavati at the 15th branch of the revolutionary court of Tehran has sentenced Ms. Najafi to 22 years in prison and 100 lashes. (Article 134: 15 years). This record will be updated due to contradicting reports. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>