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Iran Pardons Journalists Who Reported Woman's Death that Triggered Unrest

Iranian people hold pictures of Mahsa Amini with their hands painted in red during a protest outside the Iranian Consulate following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 11 October 2022. (EPA)
Iranian people hold pictures of Mahsa Amini with their hands painted in red during a protest outside the Iranian Consulate following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 11 October 2022. (EPA)
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Iran Pardons Journalists Who Reported Woman's Death that Triggered Unrest

Iranian people hold pictures of Mahsa Amini with their hands painted in red during a protest outside the Iranian Consulate following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 11 October 2022. (EPA)
Iranian people hold pictures of Mahsa Amini with their hands painted in red during a protest outside the Iranian Consulate following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul, Türkiye, 11 October 2022. (EPA)

Iran's top judicial authority has pardoned two journalists who uncovered the death of a young woman in police custody that triggered nationwide protests in 2022, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan said on Tuesday.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had been sentenced to 13 and 12 years in prison respectively by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in October 2023 for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman in custody of the morality police for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code.

"Following the approval by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of a list of pardons that was prepared by the judiciary's head, these individuals were pardoned," Mizan said, adding that the pardons were applied on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Reuters reported.

Last year, both journalists were temporarily released after 17 months in prison, and later acquitted of the charge of "collaboration with the US" in an appeal court.

Other charges such as "colluding against national security" and "propaganda against the regime" remained, but have now been cleared by the pardon and the journalists' judicial case is now closed.

Protests that followed Amini's death led to the worst unrest in Iran since the revolution. The authorities have blamed the United States for fomenting the demonstrations, which Washington denies.

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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the country's internal security service this week, following a power struggle over the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said in a statement he has had “ongoing distrust” with Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, and “this distrust has grown over time.”

The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian armed groups, and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But it also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.

The tensions boiled over this weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, said he would release sensitive information about Netanyahu if it is found that the prime minister had broken the law. Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.

The Shin Bet did not have an immediate response to Netanyahu's announcement.

Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.

Bar had been one of the few remaining senior security officials since the Oct. 7 attack to remain in office.

Netanyahu said removing Bar from his position would help Israel “achieve its war goals and prevent the next disaster.” The prime minister is expected to appoint a loyalist in his place, slowing any momentum for the commission of inquiry.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-governance civil society group, called Netanyahu’s announcement a “declaration of war on the rule of law” and claimed that he does not have the authority to take the step against Bar because of investigations into his own office.

Netanyahu is also angry that the Shin Bet is investigating members of his staff for their dealings with Qatar. The Shin Bet, and Bar, have been closely involved with the hostage negotiations during the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu recently removed Bar from the negotiating team and replaced him with a loyalist, Cabinet minister Ron Dermer. Israeli media have reported on deep policy differences between the negotiators, who have pushed for a hostage deal, and Netanyahu, who continues to threaten to resume the war.