As the international film community prepares for the upcoming Academy Awards, one of the Iranian drama 'It Was Just an Accident' screenwriters, Mehdi Mahmoudian, has been arrested in Tehran. The detention, confirmed by representatives of the film on Sunday, occurred on Saturday. Authorities have not revealed any charges related to Mahmoudian's arrest.
This incident follows shortly after Mahmoudian, alongside sixteen others, publicly criticized Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and condemned the regime's violent suppression of demonstrators. Among those who signed this statement, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni were also taken into custody.
Jafar Panahi, the acclaimed director and co-writer of 'It Was Just an Accident,' issued a statement on Sunday voicing strong opposition to Mahmoudian’s arrest. Panahi described Mahmoudian as "not just a human-rights activist and a prisoner of conscience; he is a witness, a listener, and a rare moral presence — a presence whose absence is immediately felt, both inside prison walls and beyond them." Panahi himself had signed the January 28 statement which accused the regime of orchestrating "an organized state crime against humanity" through systematic killings of protestors.
'It Was Just an Accident' is recognized with nominations for Best Screenplay and Best International Film at the Oscars scheduled for March 15. Originally made covertly within Iran, the film was submitted by France as their nominee for Best International Film. Its creation reflects significant challenges faced by filmmakers under repressive conditions.
Jafar Panahi has gained a reputation as one of Iran’s most prominent filmmakers, often producing work despite facing imprisonment, house arrest, and travel bans. The drama, which explores themes of revenge, was inspired by Panahi’s most recent imprisonment, where he met Mahmoudian, whom he referred to as "a pillar" among fellow prisoners. Along with Panahi and Mahmoudian, the screenplay was written by Nader Saeiver and Shadhmer Rastin.
Last autumn, Panahi was sentenced to a year in prison and prohibited from leaving Iran for two years on charges accusing him of conducting "propaganda activities against the system." Despite his international travels to promote the film, Panahi has declared his intention to return to Iran regardless of the sentence.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, operating from the U.S. but based on a verified network inside Iran, reports that over 6,713 people have died and 49,500 have been detained amidst the government’s recent crackdown. However, these figures could not be independently verified due to internet restrictions imposed by authorities that have severed Iran’s connectivity with the outside world.
Panahi has been vocal against the government’s actions. Last month, during the National Board of Review Awards in New York, he declared, "As we stand here, the state of Iran is gunning down protesters and a savage massacre continues blatantly on the streets of Iran. Today the real scene is not on screens but on the streets of Iran. The Islamic Republic has caused a bloodbath to delay its collapse."