The Tehran Court of Appeal has upheld the sentences of Saeedeh Shafiee and Nasim Sultan Beigi, two female journalists.

Both journalists have been sentenced to three years and six months for their alleged involvement in “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional seven months and sixteen days for “propaganda against the regime.”

Under this verdict, they will not be eligible for amnesty as outlined in the “pardon and commutation” directive issued in February 2023.

In response to the Court of Appeal’s decision, Sultan Beigi expressed her disappointment, stating, “Only 14 days have been shaved off the original three-year, seven-month prison term for the assembly and collusion charge. This verdict serves as a stark illustration of a harsh punishment. Perhaps it would have been more fitting for the court to uphold the initial sentence.”

It is worth highlighting that the third defendant in this case, Mehrnoosh Zarei Hanzaki, was acquitted of all charges during the initial court proceedings.

Remarkably, the trial took a disconcerting turn during the initial court session when the judge introduced statements from the defendant’s social media accounts that were unrelated to the charges. These statements involved critiques of their perspectives on compulsory hijab, indicating the real motive behind this punishment.