Oscar-Nominated Co-Writer Mehdi Mahmoudian Arrested in Tehran
Representatives said Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested in Tehran days after signing a Jan. 28 statement condemning Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Overview
Representatives for the film said Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested in Tehran on Saturday, weeks before the March 15 Academy Awards.
Mahmoudian's arrest followed a Jan. 28 statement signed by him and 16 others that condemned Islamic Republic leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and criticized the regime's violent crackdown, the statement shows.
Jafar Panahi, co-writer and director of It Was Just an Accident, issued a statement decrying Mahmoudian's arrest as the removal of "a pillar," and film representatives said Iranian authorities have not publicly disclosed charges.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists New Agency said more than 6,713 people have been killed and 49,500 detained in the government's recent crackdown, figures the rights group said cannot be independently verified because Iranian authorities cut internet access.
It Was Just an Accident is nominated for best screenplay and best international film at the March 15 Oscars, and filmmakers said rights groups and colleagues plan to press for Mahmoudian's release in coming weeks.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the arrest as repression of a dissident and human-rights defender, using sympathetic language and selective sourcing. Editorial choices — headline focus on arrest for 'speaking out,' long emotive quote from Jafar Panahi, and omission of government statements or charges — prioritize victimhood and critique of the Islamic Republic. Panahi's praise remains source content.
Sources (3)
FAQ
'It Was Just an Accident' is a revenge drama directed by Jafar Panahi, inspired by his recent prison stint where he met Mahmoudian. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and is nominated for Best Screenplay and Best International Film at the March 15, 2026 Oscars.[2]
Abdollah Momeni, a teacher, and Vida Rabbani, both prominent political activists and former political prisoners, were arrested on the same day.[1][2]
The statement, signed by Mahmoudian and 16 others including Jafar Panahi, condemned Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticized the regime's violent crackdown on demonstrators as a state crime against humanity, called for his resignation, and urged a referendum for peaceful transition of power.
Jafar Panahi described Mahmoudian as a human-rights activist, prisoner of conscience, witness, listener, rare moral presence, and 'a pillar' to other prisoners, whose absence is felt inside and beyond prison walls.[2]
No charges have been publicly disclosed by Iranian authorities, and no information is available on the responsible authority or place of detention.[1][2]
History
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