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Despite his prison sentence, Keywan Karimi is heading to international fame

Keywan Karimi’s new film Writing on the City ​had its first official screening ​just a couple of days ago, on 12 February​ ​at the Spanish Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival in Pamplona. However, the director ​wasn​'​t​ ​present: Karimi is ​in Iran, awaiting the outcome of his appeal ​against his six-year prison sentence.

The hour-long film is “a historic journey in terms of an essay through the use of murals and political paintings in Tehran”. Through the graffiti and wall paintings the past of the city revives: The audience can learn about forgotten events, that the locals couldn’t express otherwise, due to the regime’s repression. In those artworks freedom of expression and idea can thrive.

However, as Karimi said in an interview with the Times of India, “[The authorities] say it is a propaganda against the government.” He goes on saying: “Some picture[s] and archive photo[s] are [from] some period in Iran that the government hates.” But because it reflects critical/sensitive periods in history, does it mean that the authorities have to punish the author for showing them?!

Keywan Karimi
They thought they should: Karimi had been arrested on 14 December 2013 and charged with “spreading propaganda against the system” in connection with this new film. After his arrest, he was held in solitary confinement in Evin for 12 days.

Although he ​had been​ released on bail, the authorities didn’t forget about him: His trial -  consisting of seven sessions - started on 11 May 2014 and concluded on 13 October 2015. On that day, he received a six-year imprisonment and 223 lashes for ‘insulting the Islamic sanctities’ and ‘for illegitimate relations’. Until the last court session, he had had not been even informed about the first offence. The charge of ‘illegitimate relations’ was brought against him for shaking the hand and being under one roof with a woman he was not related to. Keywan Karimi has now appealed, and is waiting for the outcome. If the court upholds his charges, Karimi ​will need to go to jail. Then, he will​ be a prisoner of conscience relating to his peaceful activities. 

Various organisations have already voiced their concerns about Karimi’s case. As the PEN International writes, “More than 650 filmmakers and writers from around the world call for charges against Keywan Karimi to be dropped.” Besides the artists, Members of the European Parliament signed and sent a petition  to the Iranian President, condemning the sentences Karimi has been given.

Keywan Karimi is nothing, if not a very talented and prominent documentary and fiction filmmaker. He has directed 12 films which include the film Broken Border that was awarded the best short documentary prize at the 2013 Beirut International Film Festival. His other film, The Adventure of a Married Couple was screened at various film festivals, such as that of San Sebastián and Zurich.

>>TAKE ACTION! Join hundreds of other people voicing their concern about Keywan Karimi’s situation, by writing letters to the Iranian authorities or taking pictures of graffiti and posting them on Facebook for the freedom of Keywan Karimi.

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