Iranian filmmaker Ali Ahmadzadeh has been arrested, the newest in a collection of detentions of cultural and activist figures in Iran.
Sources advised RFERL’s Radio Farda that Ahmadzadeh was arrested in Tehran on August 30, after being summoned to safety businesses a number of occasions in latest months.
The explanation for his arrest just isn’t clear. Nevertheless, he had just lately completed manufacturing of a movie with out acquiring a manufacturing license from the Cinematography Group of the Ministry of Islamic Steering.
Ahmadzadeh has lengthy been on the radar screens of the federal government.
His second movie, Atom Coronary heart Mom, screened on the Berlin Worldwide Movie Pageant in 2014, was solely allowed to be proven in Iran in 2017 after modifications required by the Ministry of Islamic Steering. Quickly after it started exhibiting in Iran, officers reversed their resolution and the movie was pulled from cinemas.
Stress on Iranian filmmakers has intensified in latest weeks.
Nicely-known figures resembling Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof have been arrested, whereas instances have been filed in opposition to different filmmakers resembling Majid Barzegar, Mohsen Amiryousefi, and Mojtaba Mirtahmaseb. All have been summoned to safety businesses as a prelude to their instances.
The stress on filmmakers additionally comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Iran. A number of journalists, activists, and legal professionals have been summoned or arrested by authorities in latest weeks.
On the similar time, authorities have elevated their pursuit of ladies who’ve pushed again on the obligatory hijab guidelines after the announcement of latest restrictions on how girls could costume at universities and authorities workplaces
