Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, known for his work “There Is No Evil,” has been sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings just before his planned trip to the Cannes film festival. He is the latest artist targeted in Iran’s crackdown on dissent, following years of protests, including over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. The sentence is believed to be linked to Rasoulof signing statements in support of the Iranian people and his social activities, which were deemed to be actions against national security. His lawyer, Babak Paknia, stated that the trial took place in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, where Rasoulof was not allowed to select his own lawyer or see the evidence against him in closed-door hearings.
In addition to prison time, Rasoulof faces lashings, fines, and asset seizures. He was scheduled to present his new film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” at Cannes before his sentencing. Rasoulof’s previous work, “There Is No Evil,” which explores the use of the death penalty in Iran, won the Golden Bear prize at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival, although he was unable to attend due to travel restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities. Following this award, he was sentenced to a year in prison for allegedly creating propaganda against the system with three of his films.
Rasoulof has a history of facing prison sentences and film bans in Iran, where the government has long viewed Western-influenced artists as part of a “soft war” against its policies. Despite this, Iranian cinema has gained international recognition for its daring and thought-provoking movies that highlight the challenges of life within the country. Notably, fellow filmmaker Saeed Roustayi and his producer also faced legal repercussions after showing their film “Leila’s Brothers” at Cannes last year. The use of tribunals to handle cases involving Western ties has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and fairness, as defendants are often not allowed to choose their lawyers or view the evidence against them.
While Iranian authorities have not officially acknowledged Rasoulof’s sentence, numerous artists, athletes, and celebrities have faced questioning or prison sentences in recent years. Rasoulof and others had previously signed a letter urging authorities to de-escalate tensions amid protests over a 2022 building collapse in Abadan that killed at least 29 people. It remains to be seen how Rasoulof’s sentencing will impact the Iranian film industry and artistic community as a whole. However, international support and attention for Rasoulof’s case could potentially bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by artists in Iran and other countries with strict censorship and persecution of dissenting voices.
