Hangameh Ghaziani Summoned to the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office

Hangameh Ghaziani, a cinema and television actress, has been summoned to the ninth branch of the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office in Tehran after receiving a summons. According to the news agency HRANA, which is affiliated with human rights activists in Iran, Ms. Ghaziani has been asked to appear within five days of the notification to defend herself against charges of 'spreading falsehoods and propaganda against the regime.' Earlier, on Sunday, November 7, Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi had filed charges against eight individuals from the cinema community, including Hangameh Ghaziani, for 'spreading computer falsehoods and publishing undocumented materials' regarding reactions to the death of Armita Garavand. Other notable figures who have been reported to have legal cases opened against them include Taraneh Alidoosti, Mojgan Ilanlou, Tahmineh Milani, Omid Toucheh, Sahar Valadbeigi, Maryam Bobani, and Hanieh Tosoli. Ms. Tosoli also reported her summons to the Culture and Media Court on November 8 after reacting on Instagram to the death of Armita Garavand. On November 6, the Tehran Prosecutor also filed charges against Sadegh Zibakalam, two critical media activists, and a Telegram news channel for 'publishing false, undocumented, and misleading materials.' The publication of a list of actresses banned from working due to their optional hijab and the statements of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance regarding the enforcement of the law against these actresses has sparked widespread reactions from artists. In her Instagram story, Hangameh Ghaziani announced her retirement from acting, emphasizing her decision to step away from the profession during her detention on November 29, 2022, stating: 'On July 9, 2023, I wrote on Instagram goodbye to acting; why do you feel that you have banned me from working? For years, maintaining my dignity and willpower has been a significant aspect of my artistic identity.' Previously, Katayoun Riahi had reacted to her ban from working in an Instagram story, stating: 'My honor does not allow me to work in today's cinema... Who are you?' Additionally, Dunya Madani wrote on social media: 'It is a source of pride for me that I am not under the supervision of any regime or government.' Reza Kianian, an actor, described the government's approach as a waste of national resources, stating: 'These artists are national assets of any country. Is wasting resources a correct action for our country? Instead of engaging with these artists, is it correct to draw swords and cut off the thread of dialogue?' He further questioned whether the judiciary had issued such a ruling, as working is a natural right of every individual. Mohammad Mahdi Asgarpour, head of the Cinema House's board, stated that if the authorities base their actions on the law and believe that anyone who does not comply should not be allowed to work, they themselves should be the first to be banned from activity. He emphasized that the managers and specifically the officials of the Ministry of Guidance and cinema managers do not comply with the law. He added that if the behavior of these individuals is not curtailed, it will lead to chaos, as anyone from the president to the doorman will feel entitled to revoke the right to work from anyone based on their responsibilities, which is detrimental to the country. Recently, Habib Ilbeigi, the deputy for supervision and evaluation of the Cinema Organization, announced the banning of female actors opposed to mandatory hijab, stating that these actresses would no longer act in 'any new films.' Following this, Mohammad Mahdi Esmaeili, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, also referred to mandatory hijab as law, stating: 'It is not possible to work for those who do not enforce the law.' The website Cinema Daily, an online media outlet for cinema and television, listed the banned actresses as 'Baran Kowsari, Vishka Asayesh, Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi, Panteha Bahram, Hangameh Ghaziani, Pegah Ahangarani, Maryam Bobani, Golab Adineh, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Shaghayegh Dehghan, and Afsaneh Bayegan.' According to this media outlet, among this group, Afsaneh Bayegan and Hangameh Ghaziani have retired from acting, while Pegah Ahangarani and Vishka Asayesh are currently outside of Iran. The announcement of the list of banned actresses has previously elicited reactions from prominent filmmakers. Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, a writer and director, reacted to the wave of bans in August 2022, stating: 'An artist indifferent to societal conditions is not an artist. An artist is not a mercenary or a serf to the military lords who bows to orders.' Ms. Bani-Etemad described the banning of cinema and theater artists as a means of intimidating cultural and artistic figures into silence regarding surrounding events, emphasizing that 'holding hostage the fundamental right to work and express in exchange for silence and passivity in the face of pressure and hardship imposed on people during this period is not a sign of good governance.' Following the onset of nationwide protests in September 2022, several Iranian artists and actresses criticized mandatory hijab, called for the repeal of this law, and adopted their preferred attire. Two cinema guilds described the banning of female actors as a 'clear example of crisis creation.' The Tehran Prosecutor's complaint against seven filmmakers followed their support for the banned actresses.