For days, Iranian photographer Yalda Moaiery tried in vain to reconnect to the internet. It was only on January 23 that she succeeded, thanks to a VPN. She was then able to send around 40 photographs taken during the major demonstration on January 8 in Tehran, as well as the funeral of a 39-year-old man killed by regime forces in the city of Karaj on January 9. These images are among the very few visual accounts, provided by a professional, of this crackdown carried out behind closed doors.
Moaiery initially chose to remain anonymous when Le Monde published, on January 26, her photos of the burial, to avoid being identified and to continue documenting the repression. Early on the morning of Tuesday, February 3, about 10 agents serving the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps raided her home in central Tehran, confiscating her photographic equipment, computer and cell phone. For the print edition, which was published a few days later, M Le Magazine du Monde decided to remove from its Iran portfolio any information that could identify Moaiery and put her at risk, in order to protect her.
A few hours after the magazine was sent to print, Moaiery informed the editorial team that she wanted to be credited for these photos. The 44-year-old professional photographer is due to appear before the Moghaddas Ardabili court in Tehran in the coming days. She does not know if she will leave the hearing a free woman. Le Monde will continue to follow her case and keep our readers informed of her fate.
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