European film festivals demand the release of Iranian star Taraneh Alidoosti from prison

The Berlinale, Rotterdam, IDFA and the European Film Academy, among other key organizations, have issued a joint December 21 statement protesting the arrest of Taraneh Alidoosti, the beloved Oscar-nominated actor of 'The Salesman', in Iran.

Organizations, which also include the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk and the German Film Academy , demand the "immediate and unconditional release" of Alidoosti. The actor, who starred in four films directed by Farhadi, was jailed last Saturday (December 17) after taking part in protests against the oppressive Iranian regime. She was also sanctioned for her solidarity with imprisoned Iranian filmmakers, including Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof.

"The imprisonment of Taraneh, one of Iran's most famous artists, sends a a clear signal to celebrities that he will not tolerate any questioning of his rapidly crumbling authority," said EFA Chairman Mike Downey. "We call on the Iranian authorities to end arbitrary detentions. Iranians are denied basic freedoms, including expression and peaceful assembly," Downey continued. He also pointed out that "prominent figures in the film industry are being unfairly targeted along with lawyers, cultural figures, journalists and activists".

The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk and its founding institutions, meanwhile, have stated that they "(declared their) full solidarity with all those in Iran who defend their fundamental human rights and freedom of expression and call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Taraneh Alidoosti and his colleagues."

Farhadi, a two-time Oscar-winning director revered in Iran, also urged authorities to release Alidoosti in a statement. published on social networks.

"I worked with Taraneh on four films and now she's in jail for her legitimate support of her compatriots and her opposition to the unjust sentences handed down,” Farhadi wrote on his Instagram account. “If showing such support is a crime, then tens of millions of people on this earth are criminals,” he wrote. continued.

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