Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
Documentary Filmmakers, the Latest Targets of the
Government's Crackdown on Free Expression
BBC Persian Director Says Filmmakers Not Associated
with Network
(19 September 2011) Iranian authorities should end the ongoing
intimidation and arrest of filmmakers and journalists accelerated by the recent
detention of six documentary filmmakers, the International Campaign for Human
Rights in Iran said today. Diplomats meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on his current visit to New York should challenge him on
widespread government attacks on free expression, added the Campaign.
"These arrests prove yet again that President Ahmadinejad and
his intelligence apparatus have no tolerance for independent filmmakers and
journalists," said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign. "If the
President expects the
international community to respect his right to speak in New York, then he
should be forced to explain why filmmakers and media are subject to repression
in Iran."
On 17 September 2011 Iranian authorities detained six
independent documentary filmmakers. According to Campaign sources the filmmakers
include Mohsen Shahrnazdar, Hadi Afarideh, Katayoun Shahabi, Naser Safarian,
Shahnam Bazdar and Mojtaba Mir Tahmaseb. A pro-government news agency, Young
Journalist Club, accused the detained filmmakers of working for BBC
Persian and engaging in espionage on behalf of the news service. Several
sources reported that the detainees have been taken to Ward 240 of Evin Prison,
which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence.
"BBC Persian has no one working for it inside of Iran,
officially or unofficially," Sadeq Saba, director of BBC Persian, told the
Campaign. "If these people are detained under charges of cooperation with BBC
Persian, since we have no one working for us in Iran, then they are victims of
policies directed at pressuring BBC Persian. I am truly sorry for the detainees,
their families, and their associates."
The arrest of the six filmmakers came within a day of BBC
Persian's broadcast of a documentary about Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. Two days prior to BCC's scheduled airing of the documentary, the Young
Journalist Club quoted an "informed source" who said a "network" of filmmakers
supplying information to BCC had been identified and that "necessary actions
will be taken to deal with them."
Watch BBC documentary on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on
youtube
An Iranian documentary filmmaker who personally knows four of
the six detainees told the Campaign: "I know these people closely and I know
that none of them works for BBC and none of them produced works of a political
nature." He said that in the past, Ministry of Intelligence agents had briefly
detained or interrogated three of the filmmakers and told them that they should
not work with BBC Persian.
"Since the launch of BBC Persian, many independent documentary
filmmakers have been interrogated and threatened by security forces," said the
filmmaker. "Even some documentary filmmakers who try to get filming permits have
been told by officials that their work cannot be broadcasted on BBC Persian."
In a statement published on 19 September 2011, BBC stressed,
"the six filmmakers currently detained in Iran are not BBC staffers. The
individuals in question are independent documentary filmmakers whose films have
been screened in festivals and other venues internationally. As is common
practice for the channel's documentary showcase program, BBC Persian television
bought the rights to broadcast these films."
Liliane Landor of BBC's Global News said, "We consider this to
be part of ongoing efforts by the Iranian government to put pressure on the BBC
for the impartial and balanced coverage of its Persian-language TV of events in
Iran and the wider region."
BBC Persian's television service has been subject to extensive
jamming of its satellite broadcast from within Iran. BBC reported that the
jamming "intensified on the evening of Saturday 17 September just as the channel
had begun broadcasting a documentary about Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah
Khamenei."
Saturday's arrests are part of an ongoing attack by
authorities on media, journalists and filmmakers in Iran. On 10 July 2011, Pegah
Ahangarani, a popular actress and young filmmaker was arrested when she was
allegedly planning to cover the Women's World Cup in Germany for Deutsche Welle.
On 26 June 2011, security forces arrested filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi. Prior to
these arrests, in March 2010 prominent filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad
Rasoulof were arrested when working on a movie about the post-election unrest.
They were later sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Iranian President Ahmadinejad is currently in New York to take
part in the 66thsession of the UN General Assembly. During his past
visits, in addition to taking part in the opening session of the General
Assembly, Ahmadinejad has taken the opportunity to meet with international
journalists and diplomats, dine with select groups of New Yorkers, and give
public addresses.
On multiple occasions Ahmadinejad has defended Iran's human
rights record to international journalists, saying Iran has "the highest
conceivable degree of freedom," and "in Iran, expressing one's point of view is
permissible and free."
"What Ahmadinejad portrays of Iran's freedom of expression
during his international visits is in complete contrast to the facts on the
ground," said Rhodes. "In reality Iranian authorities do all they can to
restrict access to free information by their citizens. With Ahmadinejad in New
York diplomats and journalists should hold him accountable for his government's
hypocritical repression of free expression and free media."
... Payvand News - 09/20/11 ... --
