Prominent Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi, known globally for his award-winning works such as “The Circle”, “Infiltration”, “This Is Not a Movie” and 2015 Berlin Golden Bear Award winner “Taxi”, has been arrested in Tehran, AFP by reporting.
Jaafar Panahi was arrested today [Monday] “When he went to the prosecutor’s office to follow up on the status of another film director, Mohammad Rasoulof,” the Iranian news agency “Mehr” quoted the Iranian news agency “Mehr” as saying.
Panahi’s arrest is the third detention of an Iranian director in less than a week, and comes after the recent arrests of Rasoulof and fellow filmmaker Mostafa al-Ahmad, which took place over the weekend, and the directors allegedly posted a statement on social media. following a violent government crackdown.
Regarded as one of the greatest living masters of Iranian cinema, Panahi has won numerous awards at festivals, including the Golden Lion in 2000 for The Circle, and Un Certain Regard Jury at Cannes for Crimson Gold in 2003 , among other prestigious awards. “Closed Curtain,” which competed in Berlin in 2013, won the screenplay award that year.
During his distinguished long career, Panahi was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned, or placed under house arrest, on vague charges of “propaganda against the system”, along with Rasoulof. Panahi was also banned from making films, writing scripts, traveling abroad or giving interviews.
In the past decades under the country’s Islamic government, many Iranian directors and actors have been arrested and accused of propaganda. Many were imprisoned or prevented from leaving the country.
In 2014, the climate improved during the tenure of Iran’s most progressive president, Hassan Rouhani, but there now appears to be a more conservative reaction under the current rule.Ranian government, headed by a hard-liner Ibrahim Raisi, who took office in August 2021.
More to track.
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