Interrogation of Mohammad Rasoulof at IRGC's Safe House

Mohammad Rasoulof, an Iranian director, reported that he was interrogated about two months ago at one of the IRGC's 'safe houses' and remains banned from leaving the country three months after his passport was confiscated. The director, without providing details or names, stated that during the interrogations, he learned that cases had been opened against two of his colleagues involved in the making of the film 'Lord,' and they too are banned from leaving the country. Rasoulof's passport was confiscated on Friday, September 16, upon his arrival in Iran. On Sunday, December 25, he informed the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that after his passport was seized, he was summoned by phone to one of the IRGC's 'safe houses' and was interrogated for four and a half hours. According to Rasoulof, three IRGC intelligence officers told him that 'more interrogations are needed to complete the case, which may take months.' He emphasized that more than two months have passed since that interrogation, and he is in 'complete uncertainty,' with neither permission to make films in Iran nor the ability to leave the country and visit his family or pursue his projects. The film 'Lord,' directed by Rasoulof, won the Best Film award in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Despite being submitted to the Fajr Film Festival and the filmmaker being present for potential edits, it was not accepted. The film addresses bribery and administrative corruption in Iran. Meanwhile, Rasoulof stated that the IRGC interrogators told him that this film was made 'in defense of Bahá'ism.' He added, 'On the table... I saw a printed photo of Kaveh Farnam, one of the film's producers. Although Mr. Farnam does not live in Iran, from the questions asked, I realized that cases had been opened against two of my colleagues in the film's production team, and they too are banned from leaving the country.' In 2013, Rasoulof was also unable to attend the Nuremberg Festival due to being banned from leaving the country. On the evening of Thursday, September 28 of that year, Rasoulof's passport, identity documents, and laptop were confiscated upon his return to Iran. That year, his film 'The Manuscripts Don't Burn' received the Best Film award in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the Cannes Film Festival, which deals with the murders of intellectuals, writers, and dissidents in Iran by the Ministry of Intelligence, known for the chain murders, and parts of it were secretly filmed in Iran. Rasoulof and fellow prominent Iranian director Jafar Panahi were arrested in 2009 for making a film about that year's presidential election. Rasoulof was sentenced to six years in prison in 2010, which was reduced to one year on appeal. In this context, Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian filmmaker, has been accused of 'acting against national security.' After his passport was confiscated, he was summoned to the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office. The Iranian film 'Lord' won the Best Film award in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the Cannes Film Festival.