PEN America: Saeed Roustayi's Prison Sentence is an Attempt to 'Silence' Creative Voices

PEN America has called for the immediate reversal of the prison sentence of Iranian filmmaker Saeed Roustayi, who was sentenced to six months in prison for allegedly engaging in propaganda against the regime due to the screening of his film 'Leila's Brothers' at the Cannes Film Festival. The organization stated that the Iranian regime strategically uses the term 'propaganda' as a tool for repression, skillfully employing it to 'stifle the dynamic exchange of ideas in society.' The statement further noted that 'the regime's use of this tool has turned the artistic community in Iran into an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship, casting a pervasive shadow over creative voices.' It continued, 'The regime's tactics aim not only to silence a few dissenting voices but also to suppress the creative minds eager to express their views.' PEN America has listed Iran as one of the most repressive places in the world for freedom of expression and one of the largest prisons for writers globally in its annual 'Freedom to Write' index, which tracks the number of imprisoned writers worldwide. According to this list, Iran was ranked as the second worst country in 2022, following China, for the suppression and harassment of writers. Saeed Roustayi was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for 'propaganda against the regime' and for making and screening 'Leila's Brothers' at Cannes, along with a five-year ban on any filmmaking activities and contact with individuals active in the film industry, and required to complete a course on 'filmmaking with national and ethical interests' at the Qom Broadcasting University. Meanwhile, the Iranian Directors Guild stated in its statement that the production of 'Leila's Brothers' was authorized by government bodies and emphasized that the foreign distributor released the film after it won an award at the Cannes International Festival.