Iranian documentary filmmakers Mina Keshavarz and Firouzeh Khosrovani, who were arrested last year in Iran and released on bail, have had their cases officially closed by the country’s authorities.
On May 10 2022, the filmmakers were arrested in Tehran after their homes were searched and their personal and professional belongings such as mobile phones, hard drives and laptops were confiscated. On May 17, they were released on bail and banned from leaving the country.
Almost a year later with no official charges brought against them, Keshavarz and Khosrovani have had their passports returned to them.
Khosrovani’s 2020 documentary Radiography Of A Family won best feature at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA). Keshavarz’s filmography includes Sheffield Doc Fest premiere The Art Of Living In Danger.
“Putting such world-class filmmakers in a suspended state of ‘release on bail’ prevents them from travelling, working, or contributing to both the international and the Iranian cultural life. This is already a drastic measure aimed at artists whose work shows the most loving and respectful image of Iranian art and culture to the whole world,” said Orwa Nyrabia, chair of the International Coalition For Filmmakers At Risk (ICFR).
Founded by IDFA, International Film Festival Rotterdam and the European Film Academy, the ICFR’s mission is to advocate for and to act in solidarity with filmmakers at risk.
European Film Academy chair and ICFR co-founder Mike Downey said: “Whilst the fact that this case has now been closed is a kind of a milestone for the situation, it by no means is an indication that threats from the authorities are over. Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof are still on bail, and there are ongoing ‘interviews’ being made of film makers across the board by Iranian government authorities, with laptops and hard drives being confiscated and not returned on a regular basis.
“Also other artists are still being detained, like the rappers Toomaj Salehi, and Saman Yasin, and journalists like Niloofar Hamedi are still in detention.”
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