Bahman Kiarostami Responds to Health Ministry Spokesperson's Report

Bahman Kiarostami, the son of the late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, denied parts of the Health Ministry spokesperson's report regarding his father's treatment process in an interview with Radio Farda on Thursday, July 15, calling it 'concerning.' The Health Ministry spokesperson criticized recent claims of 'medical negligence' in Abbas Kiarostami's treatment, stating that the filmmaker was 'completely alert' before going to France and was not in bad condition. However, Bahman Kiarostami stated that his father was in a 'serious' condition at the time of his trip abroad and had traveled 'against his will.' Meanwhile, the Health Ministry spokesperson acknowledged that there were indeed issues in the treatment process of Mr. Kiarostami in Iran. According to Iraj Harirchi, the Health Ministry spokesperson, the initial complications in Abbas Kiarostami's treatment before the ministry's intervention were 'unexpected and unacceptable.' However, he did not provide further explanations. This is the first time the Iranian Health Ministry has officially acknowledged issues in Abbas Kiarostami's treatment process. Harirchi mentioned that a meeting was held with the head of the Medical System Organization of Iran, deputy ministers of health and justice, and 30 doctors and experts to thoroughly investigate Abbas Kiarostami's medical file. He stated that the reason for the first surgery was an intestinal disease and the second surgery was due to complications from the first surgery and inflammation of the gallbladder, both performed by a specialist chosen by Mr. Kiarostami himself. Harirchi noted that it was after the third and fourth surgeries that Mr. Kiarostami's condition became critical, and the Minister of Health assigned a team of 'experienced and renowned' specialists to oversee his treatment. He emphasized that all necessary facilities for continuing Mr. Kiarostami's treatment were available in Iran and that his treatment was proceeding well, despite the 'strong' opposition from Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi regarding the famous filmmaker's trip to France. Harirchi mentioned that the Minister of Health had suggested inviting a specialist from abroad for Mr. Kiarostami's continued treatment, and that Bahman Kiarostami and his friends had introduced a urologist, with the Health Ministry preparing for this trip when Mr. Kiarostami announced his decision to travel to France. The Health Ministry spokesperson postponed announcing results regarding this matter until after reviewing Mr. Kiarostami's treatment stages in France. Harirchi also referred to the comments made by Dariush Mehrjui, a film director, during the memorial ceremony for Abbas Kiarostami, stating that 'some recent remarks are not befitting of prominent and artistic individuals.' Simultaneously, Dariush Taherkhani, a member of the Supreme Medical Council of Iran, expressed understanding of Mr. Mehrjui's feelings, stating that 'certainly, he is also subject to the law and allows for any negligence to be pursued through the country's legal authorities.' He mentioned that if negligence occurred, the Medical System's disciplinary boards would not overlook it. Dariush Mehrjui, on July 13, during the memorial ceremony for Abbas Kiarostami, criticized the treatment process he received in Iran and called for a judicial investigation into the cause of the late filmmaker's death. The funeral ceremony for Abbas Kiarostami, a renowned filmmaker, was held on Sunday, July 11, in front of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran, attended by many filmmakers and his admirers. Abbas Kiarostami, a world-renowned director who went to France for treatment, passed away on Tuesday, July 5, at the age of 76 in Paris. The death of this famous filmmaker received widespread coverage in global media and among cultural and artistic circles both inside and outside Iran.