Iranian Filmmakers Warn of Deadly Crackdown as Protests Spark Blackout: ‘Silence Will Have Regretful Consequences’

As millions of Iranians took to the streets in the latest wave of violent nationwide protests this week, two of Iran’s most acclaimed filmmakers issued a stark warning over a renewed and dangerous crackdown by the Islamic Republic.

Iran faces renewed instability marked by mass demonstrations, widespread arrests and reports of lethal force by security services that have resulted in more than 500 deaths so far, according to the Associated Press.

In a joint letter obtained by TheWrap, “It Was Just an Accident” director Jafar Panahi and “There Is No Evil” director Mohammad Rasoulof said authorities have moved to isolate the country by cutting internet access, mobile service and landlines — measures that rights groups warn often precede the harshest phases of repression.

Panahi – sentenced in Iran to one year in absentia last month – and Rasoulof, who is living in exile in Europe, said they feared for the safety of fellow citizens, family members and colleagues left defenseless under the blackout. Their appeal echoes longstanding concerns from activists who argue that global silence during previous crackdowns enabled abuses to unfold unseen.

The full text of the filmmakers’ letter is published below:

In recent days, following the presence of millions of Iranians in the streets protesting against the Islamic Republic, the government has once again resorted to its most blatant tools of repression.

On the one hand, the Iranian regime has cut off communication routes inside the country — the internet, mobile phones, and landlines — severing people’s ability to communicate with one another; and on the other hand, it has completely blocked all means of contact with the outside world.

Experience has shown that resorting to such measures is intended to conceal the violence inflicted during the suppression of protests.

We are deeply concerned for the lives of our fellow citizens, our families, and our colleagues and friends who, under these circumstances, have been left defenseless.

We call on the international community, human rights organizations, and the independent media to immediately find ways to facilitate access to vital information in Iran by enabling communication platforms, and monitor what is happening in Iran.

History bears witness that silence today will have regretful consequences in the future.

Jafar Panahi
Mohamed Rasoulof

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