Rakhshan Bani-Etemad Released After Several Hours of Detention
News of the arrest of a prominent Iranian filmmaker circulated on social networks. One of his relatives confirmed the news but said that he was released after several hours. According to one of the colleagues of Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, he too has been arrested.
On the evening of Monday, December 23 (January 13), news of the arrest of Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, a renowned Iranian screenwriter and filmmaker, by security forces was circulated on social networks. Following the spread of this news on social networks, one of his relatives confirmed the report.
The same source later reported that Bani-Etemad had been released.
This experienced filmmaker had called upon Tehran residents in a statement to gather on Sunday to hold a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Tehran air disaster.
Before the ceremony took place, he announced that due to pressure, he was withdrawing the invitation.
One of the colleagues of Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, a film producer and director, has also been arrested.
Various Stances
A number of Iranian filmmakers, including Masoud Kimiai, Peyman Moadi, Parastou Golestani, Maryam Boubani, Pegah Ahangarani, and Sara Bahrami announced that due to the calamities that have recently befallen the people, particularly the crash of the Ukrainian aircraft following a direct missile strike by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the death of 176 people, they would refrain from participating in the Fajr Film Festival.
Earlier, Taraneh Alidoosti, an Iranian film actress, posted on her Instagram account, which appears to be a reaction to the treatment of Iranian citizens during the protests over the targeting of a passenger plane in Tehran, writing: “For a long time I fought with this idea and did not want to accept it; we are not citizens. We never were. We are prisoners. Millions of prisoners.”
