Mehdi Mahmoudia, co-screenwriter behind Jafar Panahi‘s acclaimed thriller “It Was Simply An Accident,” was arrested in Tehran by Iranian authorities officers on January 31.
The arrest comes after Mahmoudian was certainly one of 17 signatories of a public assertion condemning Ali Khameni, the chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The assertion — which was additionally co-signed by Panahi and different notable public digures akin to director Mohammad Rasoulof and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi — condemned the present political violence in Iran amidst protests to oust the present regime.
“The mass and systematic killing of residents who bravely took to the streets to deliver an finish to an illegitimate regime constitutes an organized state crime in opposition to humanity. The usage of reside ammunition in opposition to civilians, the killing of tens of 1000’s, the arrest and persecution of tens of 1000’s extra, the assault on the wounded, the obstruction of medical care, and the killing of injured protesters quantity to nothing lower than an assault on Iran’s nationwide safety and a betrayal of the nation,” the assertion reads.
“The first duty for these atrocities lies with Ali Khamenei, the chief of the Islamic Republic, and the repressive construction of the regime,” it continues. “This authoritarian equipment has relied on mass killings to make sure its survival whereas ignoring the essential and inalienable rights of residents—together with the basic proper to hunt change within the political system.”
Along with Mahmoudian, co-signatories Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni have been additionally arrested. On the time, there isn’t any confirmed details about the arresting authority or the fees in opposition to the detained.
Mahmoudian is certainly one of 4 co-writers of “It Was Simply An Accident,” which follows a gaggle of former political prisoners debating whether or not to enact vengeance on an officer who contributed to their torture. Together with Panahi and screenwriters Nader Saeiver and Shadhmer Rastin, Mahmoudian is nominated for a Greatest Authentic Screenplay Oscar on the 98th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 15.
In a press release shared with IndieWire, Panahi condemned the arrest of Mahmoudian and shared his worries for his collaborator.
“I met Mehdi Mahmoudian in jail. From the very first days, he stood out—not solely due to his calm demeanor and sort conduct but additionally due to a uncommon sense of duty towards others,” Panahi wrote in his assertion. “Every time a brand new prisoner arrived, Mehdi would attempt to present them with fundamental requirements and, extra importantly, provide reassurance. He turned a quiet pillar contained in the jail—somebody inmates of all beliefs and backgrounds trusted and confided in.”
“Mehdi Mahmoudian is not only a human rights activist and a prisoner of conscience; he’s a witness, a listener, and a uncommon ethical presence—a presence whose absence is instantly felt, each inside jail partitions and past them,” the assertion continues.
Panahi, whose work is often crucial of the Iranian authorities, has confronted frequent authorized points over the course of his profession, and has been arrested in his nation a number of occasions. In December 2025, he was sentenced in absentia to 1 12 months in jail and a two-year ban from leaving Iran. He has since introduced plans to launch a authorized attraction in opposition to the fees.