The 2023 FRONTLINE documentary Inside the Iranian Uprising has been honored with a 2024 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the International Television category. 

Inside the Iranian Uprising chronicled the anti-government protests that swept across Iran following the 2022 death in police custody of a young woman, Mahsa Zhina Amini, who was accused of not adhering to the Islamic regime’s strict dress code.

The RFK judges called Inside the Iranian Uprising a “powerful documentary [that] shows the courage and determination of women in Iran.” The judges praised the documentary for showcasing how “young Iranians armed with nothing more than their cell phones became needed citizen journalists.”

Drawing on a trove of footage filmed by protesters, Iranian filmmaker and director Majed Neisi, producer Sasha Joelle Achilli and senior producer Dan Edge trace how the protests began in the Kurdish parts of Iran and spread throughout the country — and how the authorities responded with force.

“We’re so pleased to see Inside the Iranian Uprising be recognized by the RFK jurors, and congratulate Majed, Sasha and Dan on their ability to give a voice to young Iranians in a country where free speech is tightly controlled,” says FRONTLINE’s editor-in-chief and executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath.

The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, given annually by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, recognizes outstanding reporting on human rights and social justice issues.

Earlier this year, Inside the Iranian Uprising was honored with a Gracie Award and a George Foster Peabody Award nomination.

Watch FRONTLINE’s RFK-winning documentary below: 

Inside the Iranian Uprising (Credits)