Oscar-nominated co-writer of the Iranian drama “It Was Just an Accident,” Mehdi Mahmoudian, was arrested in Tehran a few weeks before the awards ceremony.
This is reported by the Associated Press.
Representatives for the film told the publication that Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested on Saturday, January 31. Details of the charges were not disclosed.
According to the AP, the arrest came days after Mahmoudian and 16 others signed a statement condemning the leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the regime's brutal suppression of demonstrations.
Two other signatories, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni, were also arrested.
Jafar Panahi, winner of the award for the film “It Was Just an Accident,” issued a statement condemning the arrest of his co-writer.
“Mehdi Mahmoudian is not just a human rights activist and prisoner of conscience, he is a witness, a listener, and a rare moral personality whose absence is immediately felt both inside and outside of prison,” Panahi said.
Panahi also signed a statement dated January 28. It states, in part: “The mass and systematic killings of citizens who bravely took to the streets to put an end to the illegal regime is an organized state crime against humanity.”
About the film
The film “It Was Just an Accident” is nominated for an Oscar in the categories “Best Screenplay” and “Best International Film”, the award ceremony will take place on March 15. The film was also nominated by France for the award “Best International Film”. The film received the “Palme d'Or” at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
Jafar Panahi has made films while in various states of imprisonment, house arrest, and travel ban. “It Was Just an Accident” is inspired by Panahi's last stint in prison. It was there that he met Mahmoudian. Panahi called him a “support” for the other prisoners.
The screenplay for the film “It Was Just an Accident” was written by Panahi, Mahmoudian, Nader Sayever, and Shadmer Rustin.