'With a Heavy Heart, I Opted for Exile': Iranian Filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof

Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has fled to Europe after being sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, and confiscation of property by the Islamic Republic.

Rasoulof's lawyer, Babak Paknia, previously said that the charges stemmed from the director's films and his participation in a letter urging authorities to stop violence during protests over a deadly building collapse in 2022.

His films, which often explore social and political issues, have won him international acclaim but also landed him in trouble with the government.

He has now recounted his experience of leaving the country with a call for the international community to defend human rights in Iran; below is his full letter:

"I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a complex and lengthy journey. My legal team informed me a month ago that the appeals court had upheld my eight-year prison sentence, which would soon be enforced.

"Aware that the news of my upcoming film release would likely result in further sentencing, I faced a choice: being incarcerated or leaving Iran.

"With a heavy heart, I opted for exile.

"The Islamic Republic confiscated my passport in September 2017, so my departure had to be clandestine.

"Even as I vehemently oppose the recent unjust sentence that drove me to exile, the judicial system of the Islamic Republic has a history of issuing cruel and nonsensical judgments.

"I find myself unable to protest my own sentence while the regime carries out death penalties against protesters and advocates for civil rights.

"It is a grim reality, and even as I write these words, young rapper Toomaj Salehi languishes in prison under a death sentence.

"The brutality of repression has reached such egregious levels that people brace themselves each day for news of yet another heinous act perpetrated by the government.

"The machinery of crime within the Islamic Republic consistently and systematically violates human rights.

"Before the intelligence services of the Islamic Republic caught wind of the production of my film, some of its actors managed to flee Iran.

"However, many of the film's cast and crew remain in Iran, facing intense pressure from the intelligence apparatus.

"They endure prolonged interrogations while the families of some are summoned and threatened.

"Legal cases have been concocted against them, and they have been barred from leaving the country.

"The cameraman's office was raided, and all his equipment was confiscated. Moreover, the film's sound engineer was prevented from traveling to Canada.

"During the interrogations, the intelligence forces attempted to coerce them into pressuring me to withdraw the film from the Cannes Festival.

"They sought to manipulate the film crew into disavowing knowledge of the film's storyline, claiming they were influenced to participate in the project.

"Despite the myriad constraints faced by myself, my colleagues, and friends throughout the filmmaking process, I endeavored to craft a cinematic narrative that transcends the prevailing censorship-driven narrative in the Islamic Republic and instead mirrors reality.

While I firmly believe that restricting and suppressing freedom of expression is unjustifiable, even if it may sometimes spur creativity, new paths must be forged in the absence of available avenues.

"The global cinematic community must unequivocally provide effective support to the creators of such films.

"Freedom of speech must be vigorously defended. Those who courageously and selflessly oppose censorship should find solace in the steadfast support of international film organizations.

"Drawing from my firsthand experience, I recognize the invaluable contribution such support can make to their noble endeavors.

"Countless individuals contributed to the making of this film, and my thoughts are with each of them as I fear for their safety and well-being."

Source: Iran Wire, Staff, May 15, 2024

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