Judiciary Claims Cause of Bahareh Leilahi's Death is Under Investigation

The Iranian judiciary claims that Bahareh Leilahi, a filmmaker whose 'suspicious death' has recently made headlines, has no history of arrest and investigations into the cause of her death are ongoing. Recently, unverified reports and narratives have circulated on social media regarding Ms. Leilahi's death, including two contradictory accounts: one claiming that the director and producer of short and documentary films died while in custody, and the other asserting that her body was discovered some time after her death at home. These narratives cannot be independently verified by Radio Farda. This issue has prompted reactions, including a call for an investigation from the head of the board of the Iranian Short Film Association, affiliated with the House of Cinema, on Tuesday, June 22. Amir Tudeh Rousta, in a letter to the CEO of the House of Cinema, identified Ms. Leilahi as a member of the Iranian Short Film Association and requested a 'real report' from security, police, and judicial authorities regarding the possibility of 'murder, death, or suspicious passing' of this filmmaker. He emphasized that members of the short film guild of the House of Cinema are 'insistently' demanding 'follow-up and clarification' regarding the circumstances of Bahareh Leilahi's death. Earlier reports had mentioned Ms. Leilahi's history of arrest during the protests of 2021 in Iran. Now, Mizan, the news agency of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, claims that Ms. Leilahi has never been arrested and that her body was found three weeks after her death at her residence, with 'no signs of fractures' observed in forensic examinations. The news agency states that 'toxicological' investigations into the cause of Ms. Leilahi's death are ongoing. Mizan also reported that Ms. Leilahi's body was found in a state of decay at her residence and was buried in Behesht Sakineh in Karaj due to 'lack of follow-up by relatives.' Reports indicate that Bahareh Leilahi was born in Amol and resided in Karaj, and according to information on the website of the Center for the Development of Documentary and Experimental Cinema, she was one of the directors of the series 'Asrabad' produced by Mohammad Reza Aslani in 2009. She also had a history of membership in the Short Film Jury Academy of the House of Cinema and served as a judge in several festivals held by the Iranian Young Cinema Society. The website of the Iranian Young Cinema Society states that she had written, directed, and produced several short films.