Reactions to the Failure of the 'Sexual Harassers' Lawsuit Against Iranian Actors; A Significant Victory for Women in Iran

The failure of Habib Rezaei and Mehdi Koushki's lawsuit against several other Iranian artists has sparked widespread reactions on social media. Following allegations of 'sexual harassment' against these two male actors, they filed a lawsuit against Shabnam Farshadjou, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, and several others for 'defamation, insult, and spreading falsehoods.' Shabnam Farshadjou wrote on her Instagram account on Tuesday, May 2, that the lawsuit was dismissed in court and that Habib Rezaei and Mehdi Koushki were 'losers.' Not being in Iran herself, she referenced the details of the case, the presentation of documents and evidence, and the presence of witnesses in court, stating that the ruling means 'we did not attribute any unreal or false matter to Habib Rezaei and Mehdi Koushki and only stated the truth.' According to this actress, the lawsuit was 'related to a post of mine regarding the lack of support for the person accused of violence and sexual harassment that I had published and other friends had reshared.' Shaghayegh Nourouzi, an actress and gender equality activist, and the manager of the 'Me Too Iran' page, said on Friday during a news program on the Persian section of Voice of America: 'This ruling is undoubtedly one of the turning points created by women in the Me Too movement. When dear Shabnam published a post about several sexual harassers in Iranian cinema, which included women's narratives against them on the Me Too page, she emphasized that she was boycotting relations with these individuals, which was very important because women's narratives against these individuals were still being erased.' Ms. Nourouzi added: 'This was a turning point because we all managed to stand together against the erasure of these women's narratives. The Me Too page had been working on these narratives for a year, and the narrators were alongside this page, but it seemed that these narratives were meant to be unheard, as cinema institutions continued to ignore them, and these harassers were still invited to various programs.' This actress stated: 'The next step's significance lies in the fact that Shabnam and other friends came forward and said that this process cannot continue this way, and we stand with you, creating an unprecedented solidarity that I would like to emphasize.' According to Shaghayegh Nourouzi, 'Such turning points in movements like Me Too, which build power with empty hands, ultimately lead to successes against a misogynistic government, occurring when we can stand together on a set of common principles.' Ms. Nourouzi further emphasized that the conditions that led to this event are more important than the event itself. A large number of users and a group of Iranian artists, especially women, described this victory as a 'great success' by liking and posting messages on Shabnam Farshadjou's Instagram page or sharing her post on social media, congratulating Iranian women. Taraneh Alidoosti, one of the artists who was sued, shared Shabnam Farshadjou's post in her Instagram story, writing: 'If we were afraid of the head being severed, we would not dance in the gathering of lovers.' Mina Akbari, an Iranian filmmaker, wrote on her Twitter account: 'Obtaining this ruling from the judicial system of the Islamic Republic is a very significant achievement for women in Iran, especially since not only were the accused women, Taraneh Alidoosti, Shabnam Farshadjou, and Babak Karimi exonerated, but it was also established for the judge during the case review that the plaintiffs Mehdi Koushki and Habib Rezaei are the harassers.' Ali Moslehi, a journalist, tweeted: 'The news of the acquittal of Taraneh Alidoosti and Shabnam Farshadjou and the affirmation of the charges against Habib Rezaei and Mehdi Koushki is very important news for the Women, Life, Freedom movement that needs more attention.' Benafsha Jamali, a feminist, tweeted: 'Look how black and filthy your case must be that all the power you have is condemned to sexual harassment in the court of the Islamic Republic. Yes, gentlemen, Habib Rezaei and Mehdi Koushki are left with the blackness of coal. You said the country is lawless, and you can run rampant, but you underestimated the power of women and the sisterhood among them.' Following the revelations by some actresses and female filmmakers against the behaviors of certain men, the issue of sexual harassment in Iranian cinema and theater gained prominence. In this context, dozens of female filmmakers published a protest petition in April 2022. Subsequently, five Iranian female filmmakers formed an independent committee to pursue 'violence, harassment, and sexual extortion' in Iranian cinema and theater. Taraneh Alidoosti, Hanieh Tosli, Somayeh Mirshamsi, Ghazaleh Motamed, and Maral Jabri are members of this committee. Since the establishment of this committee, some officials and state media have severely attacked its members, especially Taraneh Alidoosti, questioning the actions of this group.