(25. Juni bis 3. Juli 2010)
Beim diesjährigen Filmfest in München werden diverse iranische Filme gezeigt und der iranische Regisseur Abbas Kiarostami geehrt. Seit den gefälschten Wahlen im vergangenen Jahr sind auch SchauspielerInnen, Regisseure und andere Filmschaffende massivst betroffen von Verfolgung, Unterdrückung und Verhaftungen. Im Juni 2010 ist der Bericht von Amnesty International zur Lage im Iran – ein Jahr nach den Wahlen erschienen.
Wir zitieren aus dem Bericht jeweils die Absätze zur Situation der Filmemacher im Iran. Der gesamte Bericht ist zu finden unter: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/062/2010/en
Alle Zitate aus:
Amnesty International report: From protest to prison, Iran one year after election, June 2010
“At times, the reality of the situation for prisoners in Iran has been on the lips of the world, such as the campaign for the release of renowned film director Ja’far Panahi which culminated in his empty chair on the jury for the Cannes Film Festival. However, his welcome release should not obscure the fact that hundreds of others remain held – for similar reasons – who have no one to speak so eloquently for them.”
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““Specific Iranian productions might not receive permission for a foreign premiere… One [filmmaker] was recently warned against any attempt to screen his movie at foreign festivals.”
Alireza Sajjadpur, Director of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s Supervision and Evaluation Office, April 2010[i]
Those involved in culture have not been immune from arrest or harassment, particularly when the authorities fear that the art will be used to present a dissenting voice to the world. Screenplays must be vetted by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to receive a production licence and then a screening licence for both domestic and foreign showings. In May 2010, a Ministry of Culture official said that Iranians must also obtain permission before co-operating in foreign productions.[ii]
Celebrated movie director Ja’far Panahi was released on 25 May 2010 after almost three months in detention without charge or trial, after his plight was highlighted at the Cannes Film Festival. Mohammad Nourizad, a director as well as a journalist, was on hunger strike at the time of writing after he was beaten in prison. He was arrested in December 2009 and sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment and 50 lashes for “insulting the authorities” and “propaganda against the state” for articles published on his blog criticizing the Supreme Leader and the Head of the Judiciary. His sentence was upheld on appeal in late May, shortly after he described being pulled from his cell without warning and beaten – possibly in reprisal for a letter to the Supreme Leader which he wrote in April 2010, criticizing his treatment and imprisonment.[iii]
Mohammad Ali Shirzadi, a documentary filmmaker, was held without charge or trial at the time of writing. His arrest in December is believed to be linked to an interview he filmed between prominent human rights defender Emadeddin Baghi and Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Since his arrest, Mohammad Ali Shirzadi has had around three family visits and no access to his lawyer.”
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“The family of film director Ja’far Panahi (see Chapter 2, Filmmakers and other artists) was not allowed to see him for over four weeks following his arrest on 1 March 2010, and when they did they found him “very pale, thin, and weak”. He was not permitted to see them again until after he went on hunger strike to protest against being beaten and threatened with the arrest of his family. His demands were to meet his family, have access to his lawyer and be freed pending trial. He was eventually freed on bail on 25 May.”
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““On Sunday morning, they took me to an interrogation room and accused me of filming the inside of my cell, which is absolutely false. They then threatened to arrest my entire family and transfer them to Evin Prison, and to send my daughter to an unsafe detention centre in Raja’i Shahr.”
Ja’far Panahi, in a letter from prison to Abbas Baktiari, director of the Pouya Cultural Centre, May 2010”
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“Ja’far Panahi’s wife described her husband’s situation in April 2010:
“In his old cell he had enough space to spend some time daily on exercising, but in his new cell with a cellmate this is no longer possible, as there is only space for two people to sleep in the cell and there is no room for moving around. Also, since he was arrested a month ago, he has not been allowed to go to the prison yard for fresh air.””
[i] “Iran won’t give certain films permission for foreign premieres: official”, Tehran Times, 7 April 2010, http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=216757
[ii] “Culture Ministry warns Iranian cineastes about cooperation in foreign productions”, Tehran Times, 16 May 2010, http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=219583
[iii] For the text of Mohammad Nourizad’s letter from prison, see http://www.kaleme.com/1389/02/01/klm-17120. An English translation may be read at http://www.sidewalklyrics.com/?p=6302
28.06.2010
München Hilft Iran
