June 18, 2009
TEHRAN, — Iranian Kurdish film-maker Bahman Ghobadi,
whose film No One Knows
About The Persian Cats opened the Un Certain Regard
section of the Cannes Film Festival, has been
released from an Iranian prison.
He was arrested by police on his return to Iran
after being accused of “severe criticism” of the
Iranian Government during the festival. He was
released with a caution on June 9.
His arrest and subsequent release followed the
release of Roxani Saberi, Ghobadi’s fiancée and
co-writer of Cats.
She was initially sentenced to an eight-year prison
term for espionage in April. An appeal court reduced
her punishment to a two-year suspended sentence and
she was released from Tehran’s Evin Prison in May,www.ekurd.net
shortly before Cannes.
Although exact details about the charges against
Saberi remain unknown, it is thought that the
initial charge of “passing secret information” had
been reduced to “having access to classified
information”. Saberi was also banned from working as
a journalist in Iran for five years.
French company Wild Bunch is handling sales of Cats.
The film highlights Tehran’s underground rock and
heavy metal community, who borrow Western melodies
to write political songs. It won a special jury
prize in the Un Certain Regard competition of the
Cannes Film Festival.
Ghobadi shot Cats underground in 17 days with an
S12K camera. In Iran, 35mm equipment is owned by the
state. The title refers to a law that bans dogs and
cats from being outdoors. Wild Bunch is working with
Ghobadi on his next project.
Ghobadi challenges Iran's draconian censorship and
pays tribute to the country's underground rappers
and rockers in his new film. |
Bahman Ghobadi, Iranian Kurdish film-maker has been
released from prison following his arrest shortly
after Cannes
Film director Bahman Ghobadi (seen here during San
Sebastian International Film Festival in 2006) |
|
Iran is currently facing its biggest political
protests for 30 years following last week’s disputed
presidential poll. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was
re-elected last week with almost two-thirds of the
votes but supporters of defeated candidate, Mir
Hossein Mousavi, are protesting against what they
claim is a fraudulent poll.
Protests have led to clashes in Tehran between
protesters and security forces and heavy
restrictions have been placed on foreign media
reporting unauthorised demonstrations. Further
protests were expected today (June 17).
Human Rights Watch recently
published a new report in 2009 detailing the repression of Iran's
Kurdish population by the Iranian government in Iranian Kurdistan (Eastern
Kurdistan). In this report, the Human Rights Watch strongly criticizes Iranian
government for violating human rights and freedom of expression in Kurdistan.
Kurds make up approximately 7 percent of the population, estimate to 12 million
Kurds live in Iran and live mainly in the
northwest regions of the country.
The report shows how the regime, in an increasingly
aggressive campaign, uses so-called security and
press laws to arrest and prosecute Kurdish Iranians
simply for exercising their rights of freedom of
expression and association. Numerous newspapers and
magazines have been closed; editors and writers have
been imprisoned; non-governmental organizations have
been refused permits to operate; and human rights
defenders like Farzad Kamangar have been sentenced
to death.
In a report released in July 2008,www.ekurd.net
the human rights
organisation, Amnesty International
expressed concern
about the increased repression of Kurdish Iranians,www.ekurd.net
particularly human rights defenders.
The U.S. calls on Iran to stop the repression of all
Iranians,www.ekurd.net
including Kurdish
Iranians, who only seek the peaceful exercise of
their universal human rights. In addition, the U.S.
urges the Government of Iran to follow the rule of
law, and free all political prisoners, like Farzad
Kamangar, who are imprisoned because of their
efforts to defend the rights of the Iranian people.
The report cited examples of religious and cultural
discrimination against the estimated 12 million
Kurds who live in Iran.
“We urge the Iranian authorities to take concrete
measures to end any discrimination and associated
human rights violations that Kurds, indeed all
minorities in Iran, face,” Amnesty said in its
report.
“Kurds and all other members of minority communities
in Iran, men, women and children, are entitled to
enjoy their full range of human rights.”
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
screendaily com | Agencies
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