Ministry of Culture Spokesperson: Jafar Panahi is Responsible for His Own Restrictions

The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance commented on the situation of filmmaker Jafar Panahi, stating that he himself should pursue the lifting of his restrictions, as he is the cause of them. Hossein Nourabadi, the spokesperson, on Tuesday, March 5, addressed whether the Ministry would take any action to lift Panahi's ban, saying, "The Ministry has no responsibility or duty to resolve problems that individuals create themselves." According to Nourabadi, some individuals must make efforts to resolve their issues, especially when their problems relate to other sectors and institutions. Regarding the possibility of Jafar Panahi continuing his work, he stated, "If the restrictions facing him are lifted, the Ministry will support activities that comply with regulations, and he can engage in work and activities." Jafar Panahi, who is currently serving a court-imposed restriction and travel ban, attended the Berlin Festival with his new film "Taxi," which won the Golden Bear for Best Film. After receiving this award, he stated in an interview with ILNA, "For years, we have heard the footsteps of politics in the realm of art, especially cinema, which seeks to contaminate art with politics." Panahi criticized the head of the Cinema Organization, saying, "Mr. Ayubi advises others to separate art from politics, creating the expectation of why they do not act accordingly, allowing politics to create a wall longer than the Great Wall of China and taller than Milad Tower in the realm of cinema." The filmmaker expressed his proposal to show "Taxi" at the Fajr Film Festival, stating, "I suggested to Mr. Ayubi to screen 'Taxi' during the remaining days of the Fajr Film Festival, in exchange for me, as an Iranian filmmaker, showing goodwill by writing a letter to the Berlin Festival asking them to withdraw the film from competition, as I believe no award is more valuable than seeing the film by my compatriots in the country." Over the years since his court ruling, Panahi has directed three films: "This is Not a Film," "Closed Curtain," and "Taxi," all of which have been successful at international festivals. Nourabadi also addressed the issue of the ban on publishing images of Mohammad Khatami in Iranian media, stating, "We have heard the Tehran Prosecutor's decision regarding the prevention of publishing the image and name of the mentioned individual; the Ministry respects the decisions and resolutions of the Supreme National Security Council and the judiciary within the framework of press law and considers it enforceable." He noted that there is no provision in the law for the reason behind this decision and stated, "In the realm of press and media, within the framework specified by law, we have no objection to this issue, and the decision made is independent of the Ministry's decisions." Nourabadi emphasized that the Ministry has no comments on decisions made within the legal framework, saying, "It is not defined in the law that we should communicate such a decision unless it is officially communicated to us." The spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary announced on Tuesday, February 27, that media outlets "do not have the right" to publish images or articles about Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran. Following these remarks, some groups close to Iranian reformists and the Human Rights Defenders Association protested the ban on publishing Khatami's image and statements in Iranian media.