Criminal Charges Filed Against Seven Filmmakers and One Media Activist for Supporting Banned Artists

The Tehran prosecutor has filed a complaint against filmmakers who supported actresses banned from working due to their refusal to wear mandatory hijab. On Sunday, November 7, the media center of the judiciary announced that Ali Salehi, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Tehran, has filed charges against seven prominent figures in Iranian cinema and one media activist. The state news agency IRNA reported, citing the judiciary's media center, that the charges against these individuals include 'dissemination of false information and publishing unsubstantiated content.' According to Hamshahri Online, the accused include Taraneh Alidoosti, Mojgan Ilanlou, Hengameh Qaziani, Tahmineh Milani, Sahar Valadbeigi, Maryam Bobani, and Hanieh Tavassoli, all of whom are associated with Iranian cinema, along with media activist Omid Touche. These individuals have recently supported a list of female actors who were banned from working due to their choice of optional attire or reacted to the accusations made by officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Following the death of Armita Garavand, several of these individuals reacted by posting on social media, particularly on Instagram, and shared protest posts. On November 2, the publication of a list of actresses banned for opposing the mandatory hijab faced widespread reactions from artists and media professionals. Taraneh Alidoosti, who spent some time in detention last year after expressing support for protesters and removing her headscarf, wrote in an Instagram message directed at the Iranian government: 'I will not wear the fabric that killed my sisters for your films.' Hengameh Qaziani, an Iranian actress who removed her mandatory hijab during the nationwide protests of 2022 and was detained for a period, responded to the news of her ban by stating: 'You did not ban me from working; I withdrew from working with you for the sake of my dignity.' On November 6, the Tehran prosecutor also filed charges against the Telegram channel RoozArooz, Sadegh Zibakalam, Sara Masoumi, and Milad Alavi for 'dissemination of false information.' Recently, Iranian media published a list of twenty actresses opposed to the mandatory hijab, who have been barred from activity by the supervision office of the Islamic Republic's cinema organization. The professional bans on these actresses have faced a wave of criticism from cinema and theater activists both inside and outside the country.