Statement by the Writers' Association on the Third Anniversary of Bakhtash Abtin: It Was 'Intentional Murder'

The Iranian Writers' Association issued a statement on the third anniversary of the death of Bakhtash Abtin, a poet and imprisoned filmmaker, calling his death 'intentional murder' and emphasizing the need to prosecute 'the instigators and perpetrators of this crime and all political crimes of recent years.' The statement highlighted Mr. Abtin's courage, noting that he saw 'the problem not in bearing it silently, but in fighting for freedom and battling censorship, erasure, and the killing of freedom.' The statement, dated January 5, mentioned that Bakhtash Abtin 'was at the forefront of every protest movement, disregarding threats, arrests, interrogations, heavy bails, and beatings.' The Iranian Writers' Association recalled that Bakhtash Abtin mocked the judiciary's 'farce' and the 'court of freedom-haters' by stating, 'I do not accept the legitimacy of anything from you.' The statement also noted that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite being aware that Bakhtash suffered from a respiratory condition, the Islamic Republic officials took advantage of the situation and deliberately delayed his transfer to the hospital for treatment, leading to his eventual death. The Iranian Writers' Association reiterated that Bakhtash Abtin's death was 'intentional murder' and stated that the case 'remains open and will never be subject to statute of limitations unless the instigators and perpetrators of this crime and all political crimes of recent years are brought to trial.' The association concluded its statement by announcing a memorial event for Bakhtash Abtin at his grave in the Imamzadeh Abdullah cemetery in Shahr-e Rey. Bakhtash Abtin, a poet, filmmaker, and secretary of the Iranian Writers' Association, died in January 2022 after contracting COVID-19 in prison and being transferred late to the hospital.