So you're saying that you approve these actions of Iran. We are not surprised.
If not, then tell us you condemn them. No comparison to any other nation is required.
Guaranteed that you will not give a condemnation, which means you approve of them.
Iranian rapper to be hanged for supporting protests anti hijab...confirms Iran is a POS nation
- Thread starter Vinson
- Start date
If not, then tell us you condemn them. No comparison to any other nation is required.
Guaranteed that you will not give a condemnation, which means you approve of them.
No, shack, I'm against those acts.
But you are here to demonize Iran in order to justify more war and to try to argue that Israel is as bad as Iran.
I don't know, there're finding that half of them are not students at the university. The only other ones to join I think are Muslims.
The cops counted faculty and students from other schools as not part of the protests.
Sort of like NY declaring they found a bike lock which proves students are violent.
Like these high school students joining in.
Meanwhile, the protests are working.
And the cops are making it worse.
13 Moroccan imams sent to Europe to preach on Ramadan have gone into hiding
They had set off to preach the Muslim faith to Moroccans living in Europe, but never returned to the kingdom. Thirteen imams sent by the Moroccan Ministry of Religious Affairs to France, Belgium or Germany for the month of Ramadan ‘disappeared into oblivion’ before returning to the country.
They are holders of a bachelor’s or master’s degree or even a doctorate. They are paid monthly by the Moroccan state to work in their mosque and they had a paid return ticket to Europe to lead the Ramadan prayers there.
To avoid any nasty surprises next year, imams are required to be married and have families before they are sent to Europe. RFI international
www.fdesouche.com
They had set off to preach the Muslim faith to Moroccans living in Europe, but never returned to the kingdom. Thirteen imams sent by the Moroccan Ministry of Religious Affairs to France, Belgium or Germany for the month of Ramadan ‘disappeared into oblivion’ before returning to the country.
They are holders of a bachelor’s or master’s degree or even a doctorate. They are paid monthly by the Moroccan state to work in their mosque and they had a paid return ticket to Europe to lead the Ramadan prayers there.
To avoid any nasty surprises next year, imams are required to be married and have families before they are sent to Europe. RFI international
Maroc: treize imams envoyés en Europe pour le ramadan disparaissent au moment du retour au pays
Fdesouche
www.fdesouche.com
Clearly, if they were on the grounds, then they were protesting and considered part of the protests.
If they were not protesting, what were they doing there, grazing on the grass?
The cops may have differentiated between students from one school vs. students from another school, but they were all part of the protests.
What are they doing?
In the choice between backing humanity and genocide, they chose humanity.
They are implementing BDS.
Two More Prisoners Executed in Iran as Death Penalties Spike
The Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out the executions of two prisoners amid a significant rise in death penalties.
Iran Human Rights Organization reported the execution of Ali-Asghar Fallah at Qom Prison on May 5.
Javan Online also documented the execution of a prisoner named Keyvan on May 1 at Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj, near Tehran.
Keyvan was convicted of a murder in Tehran seven years ago.
According to a report by Amnesty International, Iran has reached its highest level of death sentence execution in the last eight years, with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic executing 853 people in 2023 alone.
The report indicates that 481 executions, more than half of the total, were related to drug crimes.
This marks an 89 percent rise in death penalties for drug-related offenses compared to 2022, when 255 people were executed.
The latest numbers also show a staggering 264 percent increase compared to 2021, when 132 individuals faced execution on similar charges.
iranwire.com
The Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out the executions of two prisoners amid a significant rise in death penalties.
Iran Human Rights Organization reported the execution of Ali-Asghar Fallah at Qom Prison on May 5.
Javan Online also documented the execution of a prisoner named Keyvan on May 1 at Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj, near Tehran.
Keyvan was convicted of a murder in Tehran seven years ago.
According to a report by Amnesty International, Iran has reached its highest level of death sentence execution in the last eight years, with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic executing 853 people in 2023 alone.
The report indicates that 481 executions, more than half of the total, were related to drug crimes.
This marks an 89 percent rise in death penalties for drug-related offenses compared to 2022, when 255 people were executed.
The latest numbers also show a staggering 264 percent increase compared to 2021, when 132 individuals faced execution on similar charges.
Two More Prisoners Executed in Iran as Death Penalties Spike
The Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out the executions of two prisoners amid a significant rise in death penalties.Iran Human Righ ...
iranwire.com
Surge in Persecution of Baha'i Women in Iran
Dozens of Baha'i women in Iran have been summoned to court facing baseless criminal charges amid an escalation in the persecution of the Baha'i community.
Since early March, over 75% of the Baha'is summoned to court or prison—65 out of 85—have been women, announced the Baha’i International Community (BIC) on Tuesday.
Currently, two-thirds of all Baha'i prisoners in Iran are women. Many were detained without due process, with some detainees' whereabouts still unknown.
The ongoing wave of persecution is part of a broader pattern of targeting women in Iran in the wake of the 2022 uprising.
Simin Fahandej, a representative of BIC to the United Nations in Geneva, emphasized the unity of women's struggles in Iran, stating, " The Iranian government puts you in jail, expels you from university, terminates your job, and persecutes you for standing up for your aspiration to live a full life as equal human beings."
Unofficial estimates suggest that Iran is home to over 300,000 Baha'i citizens. However, the Iranian Constitution only officially recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as legitimate religions.
As the largest religious minority in Iran, the Baha'is have been subject to systematic harassment and persecution since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Dozens of Baha'i women in Iran have been summoned to court facing baseless criminal charges amid an escalation in the persecution of the Baha'i community.
Since early March, over 75% of the Baha'is summoned to court or prison—65 out of 85—have been women, announced the Baha’i International Community (BIC) on Tuesday.
Currently, two-thirds of all Baha'i prisoners in Iran are women. Many were detained without due process, with some detainees' whereabouts still unknown.
The ongoing wave of persecution is part of a broader pattern of targeting women in Iran in the wake of the 2022 uprising.
Simin Fahandej, a representative of BIC to the United Nations in Geneva, emphasized the unity of women's struggles in Iran, stating, " The Iranian government puts you in jail, expels you from university, terminates your job, and persecutes you for standing up for your aspiration to live a full life as equal human beings."
Unofficial estimates suggest that Iran is home to over 300,000 Baha'i citizens. However, the Iranian Constitution only officially recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as legitimate religions.
As the largest religious minority in Iran, the Baha'is have been subject to systematic harassment and persecution since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Surge in Persecution of Baha'i Women in Iran
Dozens of Baha'i women in Iran have been summoned to court facing baseless criminal charges amid an escalation in the persecution of the Baha'i community.
www.iranintl.com
Supreme Leader Ordered Brutal Hijab Crackdown, Police Chief Reveals
The latest brutal crackdown enforcing hijab comes on the direct orders of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran’s police chief has revealed.
Abbas Ali Mohammadian hailed the repressive measures – dubbed the "Nour [light] Initiative" - as "successful" amid increasing reports of violence committed by morality police agents against women in Iran's cities.
"After the Supreme Leader's directive, the police put this project on their agenda," Mohammadian said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with other police staff, he suggested they have "more patience" and work harder to accomplish their mission "better" without providing details on what that means.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has repeatedly stated that ignoring the hijab is a red line that should not be crossed.
In his speech in early April, he described hijab defiance as "an imposed challenge". He said "the enemies" aimed to revert women's status to pre-Islamic Revolution times when their behavior, attitude, and presence were considered unacceptable.
"The issue of hijab has become a challenge and imposed on our country. They imposed this," he stated.
"Today, they are focused on the issue of removing women's hijab, but this is the first step; it is not the last step. This is not their goal. The enemy's goal is to return the country to the state of pre-revolution when scandalous conditions prevailed," he added.
The latest brutal crackdown enforcing hijab comes on the direct orders of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran’s police chief has revealed.
Abbas Ali Mohammadian hailed the repressive measures – dubbed the "Nour [light] Initiative" - as "successful" amid increasing reports of violence committed by morality police agents against women in Iran's cities.
"After the Supreme Leader's directive, the police put this project on their agenda," Mohammadian said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with other police staff, he suggested they have "more patience" and work harder to accomplish their mission "better" without providing details on what that means.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has repeatedly stated that ignoring the hijab is a red line that should not be crossed.
In his speech in early April, he described hijab defiance as "an imposed challenge". He said "the enemies" aimed to revert women's status to pre-Islamic Revolution times when their behavior, attitude, and presence were considered unacceptable.
"The issue of hijab has become a challenge and imposed on our country. They imposed this," he stated.
"Today, they are focused on the issue of removing women's hijab, but this is the first step; it is not the last step. This is not their goal. The enemy's goal is to return the country to the state of pre-revolution when scandalous conditions prevailed," he added.
It was due long time ago.
Canada Inches Closer to Designating IRGC as a Terrorist Entity
The Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday unanimously adopted a Report to designate Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist entity and expel about 700 Iranian agents operating in Canada.
The constitutional weight of the adoption of the report cannot be exaggerated for it is non-binding for the government and the government could very well never re-introduce any bill for its implementation. Politically, however, the unanimous adoption of the report marks a step forward in Canada’s sluggish progress to designate IRGC as a terrorist entity.
The report paves the way for the introduction of Bill-350, State Immunity Act, as a set of amendments to the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act proposed by MP Hon. Garnett Genius. Whether or not the governing Liberals step up to the plate and designate IRGC as a terrorist organization, it is abundantly clear that the Trudeau government has already crossed Rubicon of confronting the Iranian regime, be it through going after IRGC and its special forces branch, the Quds Force, or via tackling the Canadian network of the relatives of the Iranian regime’s ruling echelon.
The burning question is whether the next step to tackle the IRGC and its active measures operatives in Canada will transpire in the form of both actionable legislation and action on behalf of the Canadian RCMP, CSIS, and Canada’s financial crime and FATF enforcement institutions. Indeed, Canada-Iran relations have gone through four distinct period since 2012.
The first period dates back to parliamentary debates on the question of designating IRGC in its entirety as a early as 29 March 2012, when Conservatives under Prime Minister Stephen Harper were at the helm. These debates took place in the context of a surge in human right violations by the Iranian regimes; starting with the death of Iranian Canadian Zahra Kazemi at the hands of the Iranian security forces in 2003 and the regime’s brutal suppression of 2009 presidential election protests.
Harper’s government implemented a series of measures that emerged in the form a comprehensive diplomatic confrontation against the Islamic regime of Iran. From cutting all diplomatic relations with the Iranian by closing the Canadian embassy in Tehran to designating IRGC’s Quds Force as a terrorist organization. However, Harper’s government did not go beyond these measures and only did join the UN mandated international sanctions against the Iranian regime concerning its nuclear program. Moreover, Harper’s government did nothing to stop former members of the ruling elite and/or IRGC top brass relatives from calling Canada home through various visa schemes made available to them through Canada’s Immigration system.
With Trudeau’s liberals taking over in November 2015, the government of Canada did not seek to undo the measure taken by the previous the conservative government but did not seem to have done anything to put into action any of those measures in a concrete manner. Indeed, the Canadian Senate considered bill S-219 (An Act to deter Iran-sponsored terrorism, incitement to hatred, and human rights violations) in February 2016 that would designate IRGC as a terrorist entity in its entirety.
Then, in 2018, the very MP Hon. Genius did sponsor another non-binding motion 018 to designate IRGC as a terrorist. For reasons that still befuddle most observers, the government, which enjoyed an overwhelming majority at the time, defeated the motion.
Without getting bogged down in the minutia of the history of this period, the turning point that galvanized the Iranian-Canadian community to pressure Trudeau’s government into concrete action was January 2020 shot-down of Ukrainian PS752 passenger airliner with 63 Canadians on board and almost a dozen more Canadian permanent residents by the IRGC air-defense batteries. From this point onward the liberal government began to adopt more concrete actions, starting with a series of sanctions against IRGC top brass and other high-ranking members of the Iranian regime.
However, the government stopped short of taking any concrete action from preventing the regime officials’ relatives from settling in Canada, nor did it introduce a Magnitsky style act for the Iranian regime officials who had profited from human rights violations.
The fourth period starts with Iran’s autumn 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising and continues to date. The government began to roll out new sanctions against Iranian officials implicated in the brutal uprising culminating public consultation to stop the former officials and their relatives to use the proceeds of their crime for settling and/or investing in Canada. As of 2023, with Immigration Canada joining in the action by deporting several former senior regime officials, Canada seems to be gearing up for more concrete punitive actions against the Iranian regime.
Today’s vote thus marks a point of no return for Trudeau liberals. First, in the 2018 vote that defeated a similar motion by MP Genius, the two Iranian Canadian MPs Messrs Ali Ehssasi and Majid Jowhari were conspicuously absent from the vote. Today, however, both were present. In so far as speculation goes, it is likely that the gentlemen chose not to attend the session as they did not wish to vote “yes” against the wishes of a government, and one might say PM Trudeau, that was determined to defeat the motion.
Also in 2018, Trudeau’s government enjoyed a comfortable majority, which it no longer enjoys, and it may soon have to face Iranian-Canadians at the ballot box in a general election. The government can also no longer ignore reports of threats against Canadians by the Iranian regime on Canadian soil. Thus, whether or not Trudeau’s government would take action and pass Genius’ Bill-352 into legislation, with this motion it can longer remain sit on its hands and do nothing further. In the end, the winds of change may force it to do so as it will set sails soon for another election campaign.
Canada Inches Closer to Designating IRGC as a Terrorist Entity
The Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday unanimously adopted a Report to designate Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist entity and expel about 700 Iranian agents operating in Canada.
The constitutional weight of the adoption of the report cannot be exaggerated for it is non-binding for the government and the government could very well never re-introduce any bill for its implementation. Politically, however, the unanimous adoption of the report marks a step forward in Canada’s sluggish progress to designate IRGC as a terrorist entity.
The report paves the way for the introduction of Bill-350, State Immunity Act, as a set of amendments to the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act proposed by MP Hon. Garnett Genius. Whether or not the governing Liberals step up to the plate and designate IRGC as a terrorist organization, it is abundantly clear that the Trudeau government has already crossed Rubicon of confronting the Iranian regime, be it through going after IRGC and its special forces branch, the Quds Force, or via tackling the Canadian network of the relatives of the Iranian regime’s ruling echelon.
The burning question is whether the next step to tackle the IRGC and its active measures operatives in Canada will transpire in the form of both actionable legislation and action on behalf of the Canadian RCMP, CSIS, and Canada’s financial crime and FATF enforcement institutions. Indeed, Canada-Iran relations have gone through four distinct period since 2012.
The first period dates back to parliamentary debates on the question of designating IRGC in its entirety as a early as 29 March 2012, when Conservatives under Prime Minister Stephen Harper were at the helm. These debates took place in the context of a surge in human right violations by the Iranian regimes; starting with the death of Iranian Canadian Zahra Kazemi at the hands of the Iranian security forces in 2003 and the regime’s brutal suppression of 2009 presidential election protests.
Harper’s government implemented a series of measures that emerged in the form a comprehensive diplomatic confrontation against the Islamic regime of Iran. From cutting all diplomatic relations with the Iranian by closing the Canadian embassy in Tehran to designating IRGC’s Quds Force as a terrorist organization. However, Harper’s government did not go beyond these measures and only did join the UN mandated international sanctions against the Iranian regime concerning its nuclear program. Moreover, Harper’s government did nothing to stop former members of the ruling elite and/or IRGC top brass relatives from calling Canada home through various visa schemes made available to them through Canada’s Immigration system.
With Trudeau’s liberals taking over in November 2015, the government of Canada did not seek to undo the measure taken by the previous the conservative government but did not seem to have done anything to put into action any of those measures in a concrete manner. Indeed, the Canadian Senate considered bill S-219 (An Act to deter Iran-sponsored terrorism, incitement to hatred, and human rights violations) in February 2016 that would designate IRGC as a terrorist entity in its entirety.
Then, in 2018, the very MP Hon. Genius did sponsor another non-binding motion 018 to designate IRGC as a terrorist. For reasons that still befuddle most observers, the government, which enjoyed an overwhelming majority at the time, defeated the motion.
Without getting bogged down in the minutia of the history of this period, the turning point that galvanized the Iranian-Canadian community to pressure Trudeau’s government into concrete action was January 2020 shot-down of Ukrainian PS752 passenger airliner with 63 Canadians on board and almost a dozen more Canadian permanent residents by the IRGC air-defense batteries. From this point onward the liberal government began to adopt more concrete actions, starting with a series of sanctions against IRGC top brass and other high-ranking members of the Iranian regime.
However, the government stopped short of taking any concrete action from preventing the regime officials’ relatives from settling in Canada, nor did it introduce a Magnitsky style act for the Iranian regime officials who had profited from human rights violations.
The fourth period starts with Iran’s autumn 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising and continues to date. The government began to roll out new sanctions against Iranian officials implicated in the brutal uprising culminating public consultation to stop the former officials and their relatives to use the proceeds of their crime for settling and/or investing in Canada. As of 2023, with Immigration Canada joining in the action by deporting several former senior regime officials, Canada seems to be gearing up for more concrete punitive actions against the Iranian regime.
Today’s vote thus marks a point of no return for Trudeau liberals. First, in the 2018 vote that defeated a similar motion by MP Genius, the two Iranian Canadian MPs Messrs Ali Ehssasi and Majid Jowhari were conspicuously absent from the vote. Today, however, both were present. In so far as speculation goes, it is likely that the gentlemen chose not to attend the session as they did not wish to vote “yes” against the wishes of a government, and one might say PM Trudeau, that was determined to defeat the motion.
Also in 2018, Trudeau’s government enjoyed a comfortable majority, which it no longer enjoys, and it may soon have to face Iranian-Canadians at the ballot box in a general election. The government can also no longer ignore reports of threats against Canadians by the Iranian regime on Canadian soil. Thus, whether or not Trudeau’s government would take action and pass Genius’ Bill-352 into legislation, with this motion it can longer remain sit on its hands and do nothing further. In the end, the winds of change may force it to do so as it will set sails soon for another election campaign.
Canada Inches Closer to Designating IRGC as a Terrorist Entity
The Canadian House of Commons on Wednesday unanimously adopted a Report to designate Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist entity and expel about 700 Iranian agents operating in Canada.
www.iranintl.com
Based on your posts, with Iran, the Houthis, and Hamas. At least you've occasionally criticized Assad.
You realize how dumb this word salad makes you sound?
So tens of thousands of posts from you demonizing Israel is the 'right' thing to do but the rare post criticizing Iran's government beating to death women for letting their hair show is war mongering? That doesn't even include their genocidal campaign against the Baha'i or their excessive nuclear enrichment program which continues to stonewall the IAEA.
You like the UN and HRW right?
Iran: Persecution of Baha’is
Iranian authorities’ decades-long systematic repression of Baha’is amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution.
Iran and the UN nuclear agency are still discussing how to implement a 2023 deal on inspections
Iran and the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog are still negotiating over how to implement a deal struck last year to expand inspections of the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing atomic program.
apnews.com
Sorry but they were clearly divided by status in news reports. Columbia students, Columbia faculty, Students from other campuses, and non-affiliated.
You can easily go after V's racist bullshit claiming they all must be Muslims but instead you just invent your own reality again.
I stand with humanity, you stand for genocide.
Yes, criticize Iran for beating women, its almost as bad as killing 15,000 women and children and then trying to starve 1 million children to death.So tens of thousands of posts from you demonizing Israel is the 'right' thing to do but the rare post criticizing Iran's government beating to death women for letting their hair show is war mongering? That doesn't even include their genocidal campaign against the Baha'i or their excessive nuclear enrichment program which continues to stonewall the IAEA.
You like the UN and HRW right?
Iran: Persecution of Baha’is
Iranian authorities’ decades-long systematic repression of Baha’is amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution.www.hrw.org
Iran and the UN nuclear agency are still discussing how to implement a 2023 deal on inspections
Iran and the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog are still negotiating over how to implement a deal struck last year to expand inspections of the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing atomic program.
I can see why this is your sole focus.
Glad to see you back nuclear inspections.
I'm sure this means you will demand that Israel sign the NPT and allow full inspections.
Fucking barbarians
Famous Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof sentenced to lashings and 8 years in prison ahead of Cannes film festival, lawyer says
The award-winning Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings just ahead of his planned trip to the Cannes film festival, his lawyer told The Associated Press Thursday.
Rasoulof, 51, known for his film "There Is No Evil," has become the latest artist targeted in a widening crackdown on all dissent in the Islamic Republic following years of mass protests, including over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
Iranian authorities haven't acknowledged the sentence but Rasoulof and other artists had co-signed a letter urging authorities to "put your gun down" amid demonstrations over a 2022 building collapse that killed at least 29 people in the southwestern city of Abadan. In the time since then, artists, athletes, celebrities and others have been called for questioning or faced prison sentences.
"This judgment is issued due to Mr. Rasoulof signing statements in support of the Iranian people," his lawyer Babak Paknia told the AP. He said that those statements, along with his tweets and further social activities, were found to be instances of 'action against national security.'
Rasoulof faced trial in Tehran's Revolutionary Court, Paknia added.
The tribunals, often handling cases of those with Western ties later used in prisoner swaps by Iran, have been internationally criticized for not allowing those on trial to pick their own lawyers or even see the evidence against them in closed-door hearings.
The director also faces lashings, fines and asset seizures, his lawyer said.
Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment over Rasoulof's sentencing. He had been scheduled to head to Cannes for the premiere of his new film, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," later this month.
Paknia said Iranian authorities had summoned for questioning some crew members involved in the production of "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," adding that they were under pressure to have it withdrawn from the Cannes festival.
Some crew members have been "interrogated" in recent weeks while actors had also been questioned and barred from leaving Iran, the lawyer said.
It was not immediately clear how many people involved in the production have been interrogated.
"There Is No Evil," which tells four stories loosely connected to the use of the death penalty in Iran, won the Golden Bear prize at Berlin in 2020. Rasoulof wasn't there to accept the award due to a travel ban imposed on him by Iranian authorities. Shortly after receiving the award, he was sentenced to a year in prison for three films he made that authorities found to be "propaganda against the system."
He has faced repeated prison sentences and film bans in his native Iran, whose Shiite theocracy long has railed against Western-embraced artists as a part of a "soft war" against its policies. Yet Iran has become known on the international film circuit for daring, thought-provoking movies outlining the challenges of life in the Islamic Republic.
Fellow filmmaker Saeed Roustayi and his producer similarly faced legal action last year after traveling to Cannes to show "Leila's Brothers."
Last month, an Iranian court sentenced rapper Toomaj Salehi to death for supporting protests sparked by Amini's death. U.N. human rights officials issued a statement demanding Salehi's immediate release and urging Iranian authorities to reverse the sentence. The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of "assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots," Raisian said.
Months of unrest following Amini's death in September 2022 saw hundreds of people killed including dozens of security personnel, and thousands more arrested. Iranian officials labelled the protests "riots" and accused Tehran's foreign foes of fomenting the unrest.
www.cbsnews.com
Famous Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof sentenced to lashings and 8 years in prison ahead of Cannes film festival, lawyer says
The award-winning Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings just ahead of his planned trip to the Cannes film festival, his lawyer told The Associated Press Thursday.
Rasoulof, 51, known for his film "There Is No Evil," has become the latest artist targeted in a widening crackdown on all dissent in the Islamic Republic following years of mass protests, including over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
Iranian authorities haven't acknowledged the sentence but Rasoulof and other artists had co-signed a letter urging authorities to "put your gun down" amid demonstrations over a 2022 building collapse that killed at least 29 people in the southwestern city of Abadan. In the time since then, artists, athletes, celebrities and others have been called for questioning or faced prison sentences.
"This judgment is issued due to Mr. Rasoulof signing statements in support of the Iranian people," his lawyer Babak Paknia told the AP. He said that those statements, along with his tweets and further social activities, were found to be instances of 'action against national security.'
Rasoulof faced trial in Tehran's Revolutionary Court, Paknia added.
The tribunals, often handling cases of those with Western ties later used in prisoner swaps by Iran, have been internationally criticized for not allowing those on trial to pick their own lawyers or even see the evidence against them in closed-door hearings.
The director also faces lashings, fines and asset seizures, his lawyer said.
Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment over Rasoulof's sentencing. He had been scheduled to head to Cannes for the premiere of his new film, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," later this month.
Paknia said Iranian authorities had summoned for questioning some crew members involved in the production of "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," adding that they were under pressure to have it withdrawn from the Cannes festival.
Some crew members have been "interrogated" in recent weeks while actors had also been questioned and barred from leaving Iran, the lawyer said.
It was not immediately clear how many people involved in the production have been interrogated.
"There Is No Evil," which tells four stories loosely connected to the use of the death penalty in Iran, won the Golden Bear prize at Berlin in 2020. Rasoulof wasn't there to accept the award due to a travel ban imposed on him by Iranian authorities. Shortly after receiving the award, he was sentenced to a year in prison for three films he made that authorities found to be "propaganda against the system."
He has faced repeated prison sentences and film bans in his native Iran, whose Shiite theocracy long has railed against Western-embraced artists as a part of a "soft war" against its policies. Yet Iran has become known on the international film circuit for daring, thought-provoking movies outlining the challenges of life in the Islamic Republic.
Fellow filmmaker Saeed Roustayi and his producer similarly faced legal action last year after traveling to Cannes to show "Leila's Brothers."
Last month, an Iranian court sentenced rapper Toomaj Salehi to death for supporting protests sparked by Amini's death. U.N. human rights officials issued a statement demanding Salehi's immediate release and urging Iranian authorities to reverse the sentence. The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of "assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots," Raisian said.
Months of unrest following Amini's death in September 2022 saw hundreds of people killed including dozens of security personnel, and thousands more arrested. Iranian officials labelled the protests "riots" and accused Tehran's foreign foes of fomenting the unrest.
Famous Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof sentenced to lashings and 8 years in prison ahead of Cannes film festival, lawyer says
Mohammad Rasoulof has become the latest artist targeted in a widening crackdown on all dissent in the Islamic Republic.
www.cbsnews.com
The Houthis, Hamas, and Iran are not for humanity even if you refuse to hold them accountable.
So much Islamaphbobia from you these days, basketcase.
Are you trying to drive Iran to make the bomb?
Iran warns it will change nuclear doctrine if ‘existence threatened’
Adviser to Khamenei says Iran will have ‘no choice’ if nuclear facilities targeted by Israel.
