Report by Two NGOs on the Suppression and Harassment of Artists Supporting 'Women, Life, Freedom'

On the eve of the second anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, the organizations 'Artistic Freedom Initiative' and 'Voices Without Borders' released a joint report highlighting the role of artists in these protests and calling for international support for them. These NGOs emphasized on Tuesday, September 10, that artists were among the first groups targeted by the Islamic Republic's government. According to the report, from September 2022 until now, there have been reports of threats and harm against Iranian artists due to their support for this movement. The report states that since the beginning of this movement, the Islamic Republic has pressured artists through multiple attacks, including work bans, arbitrary arrests and trials, torture, coercion for false confessions, travel restrictions, and transnational repression. In another section of this detailed report, it is emphasized that many Iranian artists are in a concerning situation and need immediate support from the international community, such as immigration assistance and resettlement. The report calls on the international community to recognize the participation of Iranian artists in this movement as a form of political activity in defense of human rights. The Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) and Voices Without Borders (VU) also identified the laws, policies, and actions that the Islamic Republic of Iran employs to suppress artists, revealing the role of many Iranian artists in defending human rights within this movement. The authors of this report, emphasizing the key role of artists in expanding the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, analyzed and reviewed 26 examples of artworks created from this movement, illustrating how artists addressed the issue of the death of Zhina-Mahsa Amini through their art. The report also discusses censorship, surveillance, and new punitive measures against artists by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, indicating that since September 2022, the ministry has significantly increased its efforts to suppress artistic expression and control prominent artists. This suppression has been carried out through online surveillance, the establishment of special teams to monitor celebrities, work bans, and threats of legal action. Over the past two years, numerous reports have emerged regarding the suppression of artists supporting the 2022 protests by the security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic, particularly targeting female artists opposing mandatory hijab.