Location: Iran, Tehran         
Date: May 16, 2022

Iranian intelligence service arrested filmmakers Firoozeh Khosravani, Mina Keshavarz, Shilan Assadi and photographer Reyhaneh Taravati on May 9 and 10, without disclosing the charges against them. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the arbitrary arrests of four women media workers and calls for their immediate release. The authorities must disclose the charges against them, if any. 

Iranian intelligence service officials raided the offices and homes of several filmmakers and other professionals. Filmmakers Firoozeh Khosravani, Mina Keshavarz, Shilan Assadi and photographer Reyhaneh Taravati were among those arrested after the officials’ raid. 

 Mohammad Rasoulof, an Iranian award-winning filmmaker took to Instagram to share information about the arrests as well as a statement by various filmmakers condemning the arrests. “In all these years, not only widespread censorship but also the involvement of security agencies in the field of cinema, has reduced the job security of filmmakers to the lowest possible level,” read the statement, according to news reports. 

The statement voiced concerns at the extent of overreaches of the Iranian authorities. “Such actions of security officials are clearly at the expense of national security and in violation of the freedom of expression and the rights of the nation, as enshrined in the constitution.” 

The authorities also confiscated film equipment and personal belongings of employees during the raids

The National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) Women’s Committee also reported the arrests of the documentarians. The committee stated that Firoozeh was arrested on May 9 in Tehran and was shifted to Evin Prison. 

Firoozeh was also briefly detained in 2009 for placing flowers on the graves of the victims of the uprising in Behesht Zahra cemetery in Tehran, according to the committee. At the time, she was released a few hours later.

The committee also noted that Mina Keshavarz, another documentary filmmaker, was arrested on the same day as Firoozeh and transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran. News sources revealed that “a comprehensive search of her home in Tehran” was conducted, according to the statement. Mina’s last documentary, "The Art of Living in Danger", was about domestic violence. 

Meanwhile, photographer Reyhaneh Taravati was also arrested on May 9 and was taken to Tehran’s Evin Prison, according to news sources. During the raid, the officers confiscated the photographer's personal devices including her laptop, hard drives, and camera. Later, her photography studio was also searched and additional equipment was seized there. Her charges have yet to be informed. Previously, Reyhaneh photographed imprisoned Iranian journalist and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi and it was published in the Washington Post on April 6. 

Reyhaneh was also arrested in 2014 in connection with the Iranian version of the song called “Happy”. She was released a few weeks later at the time. An Iranian court handed her a one-year prison sentence and suspended it for three years.

Iran ranked 178th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Sans Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index 2022. The country has dropped four places below as compared to 2021. According to RSF, the Iranian regime has shut down the internet access in several cities to censor information about the repression of popular movements in recent weeks. Various media and film workers’ houses were raided and many of them arrested at the end of the searches.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends solidarity to Firoozeh Khosravani, Mina Keshavarz, Shilan Assadi and Reyhaneh Taravat, and registers strong protest against their arrests. We call for their immediate release. The Iranian authorities must desist from clamping down on media freedom and allow documentarians to do their work. The suppression of dissenting voices only empowers the state at the expense of the marginalized. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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