Keivan Karimi's Prison Sentence Reduced to One Year; 223 Lashes Confirmed

Keivan Karimi, a Kurdish Iranian filmmaker, stated that the appellate court has reduced his sentence from six years in prison to one year; however, the sentence of 223 lashes and a fine of 20 million rials remains unchanged. According to a report published by the Associated Press on Monday, February 22, Mr. Karimi said that this ruling is final and cannot be appealed. He added that he does not intend to leave Iran and will endure the punishments imposed. Amir Raeisian, the lawyer for this Iranian filmmaker, also told the 'Saaat 24' website that the appellate court reduced Keivan Karimi's conviction from six years of imprisonment to one year of punitive imprisonment and five years of suspended imprisonment. The Kurdistan Human Rights Association reported that 'the appellate court for this filmmaker was held on December 23, 2015, with the presence of judges Pourarab and Babaei in Branch 54 of the appellate court.' Keivan Karimi was arrested on December 14, 2013, following the production of the film 'Writing on the City' and was released on bail of 100 million tomans after 12 days in detention. This film is a 60-minute documentary about 'the wall writings and graffiti in Tehran after the revolution.' His charges include 'insulting sacred beliefs and propaganda against the regime' and 'illicit relations through handshaking and kissing with non-mahram,' the latter of which resulted in the sentence of 223 lashes. Mr. Karimi's lawyer previously told Radio Farda that 'the accusation against Mr. Karimi is insulting sacred beliefs, and the basis for this was that he was supposed to make a clip but did not produce it because he could not reach an agreement with the clients regarding the details; however, the court perceived this as an act of insulting sacred beliefs.' He added: 'Mr. Karimi is a documentary filmmaker and has had permits for the films he has made, and what he has not made is not even the subject of the case; meaning it is an act he did not commit, and one cannot punish someone for an act they did not commit.' In December of this year, 137 Iranian documentary filmmakers expressed 'surprise and disbelief' at Mr. Karimi's conviction and hoped that the 'misunderstanding' would be resolved and the ruling issued by the appellate court would be overturned. The signing documentary filmmakers emphasized the need for their 'job security' and reminded that 'Iranian documentary filmmakers, like other artistic and cultural sectors of this land, believe it is their right to create their works in a safe, worry-free, and unaccused environment.' Keivan Karimi, 30 years old and born in the city of Baneh in Kurdistan province, gained fame two years ago by making a short black-and-white film titled 'The Story of a Husband and Wife.' This film, based on a story by the late Italian writer Italo Calvino, was screened at 40 festivals worldwide and won awards from festivals in Spain and Colombia.