Continued Detention and Lack of Information on the Status of Several Artists and Writers

Lack of information about the status of Shaker Bouri, a satirist, and Mehdi Etemad Saeed, an actor, as well as the continued detention of Habib Mousavi, a poet and writer, has raised concerns and led to statements from artists. More than a week after the arrest of Shaker Bouri, a government-critical satirist, security agencies have refrained from responding regarding him. Shaker Bouri, who used social and political issues as the basis for his visual satire on Instagram and YouTube, was arrested on August 1 after being summoned to the Intelligence Department of the IRGC in Abadan. The continued lack of information about his situation after eight days of detention has caused concern for his family. According to a report by HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, on Tuesday, August 8, a source revealed that security and judicial authorities have avoided providing clear answers to Bouri's family despite their inquiries. Shaker Bouri, who has 1.2 million followers on Instagram, critiqued current issues in Iran and the statements of Islamic Republic officials. The last part of his published satirical series on Instagram and YouTube titled 'I wore a shroud for money' criticized the government's treatment of women opposing the hijab. Previously, security agents temporarily detained him at his home and confiscated his mobile phone. Based on some unconfirmed reports, the Intelligence Department of Abadan, claiming ignorance about Shaker Bouri, referred his family to the police and recommended that they file a 'missing person' report for him. Meanwhile, according to the website Dadban, the refusal to provide information about detainees, including their charges and place of detention, especially the denial of their presence in prison, is considered a form of enforced disappearance and a crime against humanity. On the other hand, the lack of information about the status of Mehdi Etemad Saeed, an actor and children's facilitator, who was arrested by security forces on June 9, has provoked a response from artists. A group of theater professionals issued a statement supporting Mehdi Etemad Saeed, criticizing the lack of information about his charges and place of detention, and asking, 'Why is his status still unclear to colleagues and family after eight weeks?' The signatories of this statement condemned such treatment, pointing out the ignorance of Etemad Saeed's wife and two-year-old child regarding his situation, and called for his release. Mehdi Etemad Saeed has not had access to a lawyer since his arrest and faces charges of 'encouraging corruption and prostitution.' Mohammad Sadeghi, an actor protesting compulsory hijab, who was arrested on July 16 in Tehran, has been accused of 'encouraging people to corruption and prostitution' and 'inciting individuals to violent acts.' Additionally, Habib Mousavi, a poet and writer, who was arrested on August 1 by the Intelligence Department of the IRGC in Golestan, has recently been transferred to Amirabad prison in this city. The charges against Habib Mousavi include 'propaganda against the regime' and 'spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion.'