Symbolic Protest of Cinema Lovers at Abbas Kiarostami's Grave

The "Tak Mazraeh" cemetery near Lavasan was the site of a gathering of fans of the late Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami on Thursday, October 7. This gathering took place a few days after the issuance of a ruling by the disciplinary court of the Medical System Organization regarding the medical case of this renowned director, where attendees symbolically protested the ruling with placards addressed to Mr. Kiarostami's family stating, "You are not alone." According to the ruling issued by the Medical System Organization, Abbas Kiarostami's attending physician has been sentenced to three months of medical practice suspension at the location of the alleged misconduct, namely Jam Hospital. The board of directors of the House of Cinema described this ruling in a statement as "shocking" as the death of Mr. Kiarostami and other filmmakers expressed their astonishment regarding its issuance. Shadmehr Rastin, a member of the House of Cinema's board, read a text at Mr. Kiarostami's grave on Thursday, calling the ruling "suspicious" and stating that the outcome has left everyone astonished, and regardless of any fate awaiting this medical case, people will not forget this "sad" ruling. Morteza Abdollazadeh, a film journalist, believes that the reactions to the ruling stem from the disproportion between the crime and punishment. While Mr. Kiarostami's family has remained silent regarding the ruling and is pursuing their complaint against the management of Jam Hospital, Ahmad Mir, Mr. Kiarostami's physician, defended his actions during the treatment of this well-known director in an interview with the newspaper "Sepid," calling the ruling severe and stating that he will appeal it. Mr. Mir also denied any negligence in the treatment of Abbas Kiarostami, stating that he traveled with the permission of Mr. Kiarostami and his family during the course of treatment. He confirmed that a complication arose during Abbas Kiarostami's treatment, attributing his death to a likely head injury and brain hemorrhage. This statement contradicts earlier remarks made by Bahman Kiarostami, Mr. Kiarostami's son, regarding his father's condition before being sent to France. On Thursday, attendees at Mr. Kiarostami's grave announced in their statement that Abbas Kiarostami's medical case has entered a new phase and stated that they will remain alongside the Kiarostami family until the doors of the Abbas Kiarostami Foundation open. Abbas Kiarostami, a renowned Iranian filmmaker, passed away on July 14 while traveling from Iran to France for continued treatment in Paris. His death brought the issue of "medical error" to the forefront of Iranian society and sparked extensive media disputes between filmmakers and the medical community.