Photojournalist Yalda Moaiery sentenced to 15 years in prison

Hengaw – Sunday, August 9, 2026

Yalda Moaiery, a prominent Iranian photojournalist and recipient of the Courage in Journalism Award, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Iranian judiciary.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and a post published by Moaiery on the social media platform X, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her in absentia to 15 years in prison. Her trial was held on July 19, 2026, without her presence.

In February 2026, security forces raided and searched Moaiery’s home and confiscated her electronic devices. She was subsequently instructed to report to the Shahid Moghaddas Prosecutor’s Office at Evin to follow up on her case. Her mobile phone line had also previously been blocked on the orders of the Ministry of Intelligence.

Moaiery was previously arrested by security forces on September 21, 2022, on Hijab Street in Tehran during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement. At the time, the Judiciary Media Center said she was accused of “acts against national security and supporting riots.”

Moaiery is a prominent photojournalist who has covered social and political events in Iran for years. In 2023, she received the international Courage in Journalism Award.