Group of Iranian Artists and Writers Call for Reversal of Reza Mihandoust’s Prison Sentence
180 artists, writers, filmmakers and theater directors in Iran have issued a statement calling for the reversal of a 42-month prison sentence imposed on Reza (Navid) Mihandoust, an Iranian writer and filmmaker.
In the statement, a copy of which was also sent to Voice of America, the signatories referred to the documentary film “Crown of Thorns” directed by Mihandoust and stated that “charging someone with making a documentary film 12 years ago that has never been broadcast or released, regarding a journalist who was residing and working inside the country at that time, constitutes retroactive application of the law.” The film “Crown of Thorns” documents the life and journalism work of Masih Alinejad, host and producer of the Voice of America Farsi program, during her time in Iran.
Neda Mihandoust, sister of Reza Mihandoust, told Voice of America that the statement, referencing signatories including Homayoun Asadian and Abolhasan Davudi, former directors of the Cinema House, represents a purely professional statement not limited to filmmakers alone, but encompasses a diverse range of artists.
According to Ms. Mihandoust, the support from these Iranian artists, despite the particular conditions prevailing in Iran, demonstrates that “this broad spectrum of people are in agreement regarding these sentences that are being issued against individuals engaged in cultural work, and they explicitly demand an end to these sentences, viewing them as a clear violation of freedom of expression and illegal.”
Signatories of the statement, including Kiomars Pour Ahmad, a writer and filmmaker, Ataneh Faqih Nasiri, a film and television actress, Ali Mosffa, an actor, writer and director, and Tahmineh Milani, a writer and filmmaker, while reacting to the prison sentence issued by the security prosecutor’s office, which according to them has limited familiarity with filmmaking and cultural activities, stated: “These actions, assuming they occurred, should be examined with careful expertise by the Prosecutor’s Office of Culture and Media, which is one of the specialized prosecution offices in the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Reza Mihandoust, whose artistic resume includes directing two television series titled “Glass Wall” and “Maybe It Will Happen to You Too” and a feature film titled “Whatever God Wants,” was briefly detained on November 19, 2019, and was summoned and detained by the Ministry of Intelligence on December 4, 2019, to provide explanations. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Ward 209 of the Ministry of Intelligence in Evin Prison and was finally released on February 4, 2020, on a bail of 850 million tomans, pending the completion of legal proceedings.
The court hearing for the Iranian writer and filmmaker took place in early December of last year in Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. In late December, a three-year and six-month prison sentence was issued against him on charges of “propaganda activities against the system through graffiti” and “actions against national security through membership in opposition groups with the intent to overthrow the government.” The sentence was communicated to his defense counsel.
According to Neda Mihandoust, despite the defense lawyer’s objection to the sentence in the primary court, the sentence was confirmed exactly as is in the appellate court. According to law, three years of this sentence will be subject to enforcement.
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic’s violent treatment of the Iranian people under various pretexts and the continuous and repeated violations of Iranian citizens’ rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press, by the Islamic Republic.
Source: Voice of America
