Iranian security forces arrested Iranian journalist Nasrin Hassani on September 30, 2022. Hassani covers news of her hometown Bojnourd, in North Khorasan province, for the local state-run newspaper Etefaghyeh and is editor-in-chief of the social media-based outlet East Adventure Press.
Hassani was arrested during a crackdown on nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, after morality police detained the 22-year-old for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code. Authorities arrested dozens of journalists as protests spread; several were later released on bail.
In November 2023, a local court sentenced Hassani to seven months in prison for “spreading false information,” and in January 2024 the Bojnourd Revolutionary Court imposed an additional one-year sentence for “propaganda against the state” related to her reporting and social media activity.
She began serving these combined sentences in February 2024. In June 2025, Hassani was released from Bojnourd Prison, where she was held in unlawful conditions alongside non-political inmates.
Hassani, a single mother, lost her job prior to her arrest due to pressure from security authorities. Her teenage son was left her son to face hardship alone during her imprisonment.
Hassani was released on June 4, 2025. Authorities have not clarified the conditions of her release.
CPJ emailed Iran’s mission to the United Nations in late 2024 for comment on the cases of imprisoned Iranian journalists, including Hassani, but received no response.