Panahi’s Charge: Not Renouncing, and Wearing Green Scarf

While nothing is known of the condition of prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, his wife, Tahereh Saeedi, told Rooz in an exclusive interview that she has met with Tehran’s prosecutor Jafari Dolatabadi but that the official did not given any clear or direct answers about Mr. Panahi’s condition, only saying that he had not renounced his views.

The prominent filmmaker’s wife said that making a film without a permit and wearing a green scarf at the Montreal World Film Festival are among her husband’s charges.  She added that she knows nothing about her husband’s living condition in prison or health since their last visit on March 30, 2010 and that she is extremely concerned about his physical condition.

Jafar Panahi was arrested along with his wife, daughter and guests, who were collaborating in the production of his new film, at midnight on March 2, 2010.  Mr. Panahi’s wife, daughter and guests were subsequently released but he continues to be kept at the notorious Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section that is controlled by the intelligence apparatus of the Islamic republic.

Panahi, who has directed films such as The Circle, Crimson Gold, The White Balloon, The Mirror and Offside, winning prestigious international awards at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals, is accused of directing a film against the Islamic republic.  Mrs. Saeedi clearly denies the charge: “We were in the house while the gentlemen were searching it and busy confiscating items, for 6 or 7 hours, as Tabnak website first reported that Mr. Panahi is directing a film against the regime.  Such a thing is absolutely not true.”

Mrs. Saeedi added, “The film that Mr. Panahi was planning to direct, which was about the problems of a family of 4 people, takes place at the same time as the green movement.  But the film is absolutely not against the regime.”

Jafar Panahi who had been arrested once earlier too, was arrested with his wife, daughter and two colleagues during Neda Agha-Soltan’s fortieth day of mourning, which is traditionally mourned in Iran.  He has also been barred from exiting the country since Mehr 22.   

This prominent Iranian filmmaker had reacted to Ahmadinejad’s June 12 election coup by saying, “Ahmadinejad will spread more humiliation.  They humiliate the people and will strive to impose greater rule on people.  The face that we saw after the voting was the face of a loser.  It seems like this will entice him to lie even more than before, and not be constrained by anything, and to implement his lies.  He tries to be ahead of the game and it is possible that he may undertake other dangerous actions.”

Describing her husband’s mental and physical condition during their last visit, Mrs. Saeedi said, “His mental condition was good.  He wanted to hear about the news outside the prison and I told him.  But we are extremely concerned about his physical condition.  He had lost a lot of weight.  I felt that he was ill.  Since he has suffered severe spasms in his chest and taken to the emergency room twice before, I am very worried, especially because his doctor said the spasms were caused by work stress and warned that they could lead to heart attacks.  Meanwhile, the have moved him to a smaller cell, which is like a small dungeon, where he can’t move around at all, and this has made us worried.”