Niloofar Hamedi is an Iranian journalist working for the daily Shargh, known for her coverage of women’s rights and social issues. On 16 September 2022, she was the first to report on the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code. Niloofar Hamedi’s reporting included publishing a photo of Amini’s parents embracing in the hospital, which quickly went viral and sparked nationwide protests under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom.” She was arrested on 22 September 2022 and detained in Evin prison. In October 2023, she was sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges including “collaborating with the hostile American government” and “propaganda against the system,” though the sentence was later reduced to five years. In February 2025, she was pardoned by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as part of an amnesty. Throughout her imprisonment, Niloofar Hamedi received several international awards, including the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2023.