Yalda Moayeri

Yalda Moayeri is a journalist photographer and a member of the Iranian Press Photographers AssociationOne of her photos became a symbol of the fight against the mandatory hijab. She was arrested while covering the protests in Tehran triggered by Mahsa Amini's murder.

The murder of Mahsa Amini triggered a country-wide uprising in September 2022 in Iran. The protests were initially sporadical around the country and against the mandatory hijab. But in a few days, dozens of cities in Iran became the scenes of clashes between protesters and security forces. The protesters' main demands were freedom of attire and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. The focus of the protests on women led to international attention. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='42581'> <reference source='https://www.instagram.com/yaldamoaiery/?hl=en'> While being transferred to the prison in a van, Yalda Moayeri wrote in her Instagram story that she was arrested and beaten while covering protests in Hijab street in Tehran. IranWire reported that she was transferred to Qarchak Prison. She was arrested during the national uprising triggered by the murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl from Saqez, by the morality police in Tehran. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42582'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3ywxVra'> The Journalists' Guild of Tehran Province issued a statement demanding the release of Yalda Moayeri. The statement defended journalistic freedom and emphasized that their presence at street events like protests is as normal as emergency services, and their presence does not equate to participation. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42586'> <reference source='https://ifj-farsi.org/?p=8359'> The international Journalists Federation released a statement asking Iranian officials to end the arrests of journalists and allow free access to the Internet. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42641'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3LPDEOk'> The Journalists Guild of Tehran province released a statement expressing concern about the increasing number of summons, arrests, and searching the houses of journalists and preventing them from doing their job during the days of the national uprising in reaction to Mahsa Amini's murder. The statement states that the arrested or summoned journalists were directly tasked by their editors and bosses to cover the events after Mahsa Amini's death, meaning they were just fulfilling their professional obligation. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42583'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3Vg3wqZ'> In an audio file sent to IranWire, Yalda Moayeri described the conditions in Qarchak Prison: > The conditions are terrible. There are violent fights every day. We are not safe. Over 100 people are being kept in a sports shed without air conditioning. The bathrooms and toilets are in terrible condition and there are only three bathrooms and toilets for all these people. They keep prescribing sedatives for prisoners. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42584'> <reference source='https://cpj.org/2022/09/names-of-journalists-arrested-in-irans-anti-state-protests/'> The Committee to Protect Journalists released the names of 40 reporters who were arrested during the protests after Mahsa Amini's murder. The organization asked Iranian officials to immediately release all the journalists arrested for converting the death of Mahsa Amini and the events after that. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42782'> <reference source='https://t.me/iranianphotojournalist/1485'> The Press Photographers' Guild announced: > Out of all the arrested photographers, Bahar Aslani and Ahmad Halabisaz have been released on bail. But Ms. Yalddaa Moayeri and Mr. Aiya Jafari and Hossein Esmaili are still in custody. They are suffering from various illnesses and require regular medical treatment. They also revealed that according to her family, Ms. Moayeri is in solitary. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='46719'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/SharghDaily/status/1605162157615767553?s=20'> She was released on bail. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='46723'> <reference source='https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEnEYVI-7y/?next=%2F&hl=en'> In a video on her Instagram, Yalda Moayeri announced that she has been sentenced to five years in prison for assembly and conspiracy to act against national security and one year in prison for propaganda against the state. The court has also issued her a two-year ban on leaving the country, using cell phones and social media, living in Tehran and neighboring provinces, two months of public service, and producing a 100-page study on the works of Morteza Motahari. In the video, she says the judge claimed that she wasn't there to cover the news but to "make news". </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>