Iranian security forces raid dissident filmmaker's residence
Two renowned Iranian filmmakers have condemned authorities for raiding the home of fellow dissident director Ali Ahmadzadeh and seizing his laptop and communication devices.
Two renowned Iranian filmmakers have condemned authorities for raiding the home of fellow dissident director Ali Ahmadzadeh and seizing his laptop and communication devices.
According to Iranian media, Ahmadzadeh’s residence was raided by several armed agents on July 26. There was no immediate announcement by Iranian judiciary on possible charges or why Ahmadzadeh residence was raided.
However, he is known as a dissident filmmaker and a supporter of protests against the Islamic Republic. He is also among the filmmakers who defy hijab regulations in their underground films.
“Fifty people raided the house of a prolific artist, stole his suitcase, laptop and mobile communication devices and held him at gunpoint, ordering him to appear the next day for questioning,” acclaimed director Jafar Panahi wrote on Instagram on Monday.
Panahi shared video footage from the aftermath of the raid, calling it “state terrorism.”
“This illegitimate power of the government allows them to imprison filmmakers or seize their belongings, but creativity cannot be imprisoned or detained. Iranian filmmakers will continue making their movies,” wrote fellow renowned filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof in a separate Instagram post.
The raid occurred while Ahmadzadeh was on location filming his new project. He has faced previous restrictions, and some of his films have struggled to gain approval for release in Iran.
Both Panahi and Rasoulof are internationally acclaimed directors whose works have been featured at major film festivals, including Cannes.
Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran before fleeing the country in 2024. Panahi also won the Palm d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his film "It Was Just an Accident".
Panahi has also previously faced restrictions and imprisonment and is still banned from filmmaking but continues to reside in Tehran and makes his films secretly.
Under Iranian law, all films must obtain government permits before production and receive official approval prior to any public screening.
Ahmadzadeh was arrested in Tehran in 2022 on charges of making a movie without permit.
His film “Critical Zone” won the Golden Leopard award at Locarno film festival in Switzerland in 2023. The movie was also screened at the 41st Haifa International Film Festival in Israel, a taboo in Tehran.
Iran continues to be ranked among the world’s worst countries for press freedom.
According to Reporters Without Borders, “Iran has reinforced its position as one of the most repressive countries in terms of press freedom, with journalists and independent media constantly persecuted through arbitrary arrests and harsh sentences handed down after unfair trials before revolutionary courts.”
The man from New York is said to have left Iran 30 years ago and was among 35 Jews in the country detained on spy charges in the wake of the war with Israel.
He had traveled to Iran along with another Jew of Iranian origin who was also arrested but was since released on bail.
Israel’s Ynet quoted a legal representative involved in the case who remained anonymous, who said: ”They came to the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the only Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, said Sunday that the charge of espionage has been formally dismissed against all Jewish detainees held in Tehran, and that the majority of those arrested are expected to be released soon.
“I am proud to announce that following a two-hour meeting with Mohammad Taghavi, the head of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, it was agreed that three of the five detained members of our community will be released on light bail,” Najafabadi wrote in a statement. “We hope the remaining two individuals in Tehran will also be freed soon.”
In addition to developments in the capital, Najafabadi also addressed the situation in Alborz province, where a larger group of Jewish Iranians had been detained in recent weeks.
“With regard to the eleven individuals arrested in Alborz province, I am pleased to report that... five women were released on bail last week,” he said. “Additionally, three men were freed from detention just a few days ago.”
He added that he would continue to pursue the release of the remaining detainees in the province. “Tomorrow, a meeting will be held with Ahmad Nowrouzi, the head of the judiciary in Alborz province, regarding the status of the remaining detainees.”
Najafabadi also said that efforts were underway in Shiraz concerning another community member who remains in custody. “With regard to a fellow citizen detained in Shiraz, I, along with the respected head of the Shiraz Jewish Association, am actively pursuing the matter and we hope to witness positive results soon.”
In the wake of the war, 35 Jews were arrested in Tehran and Shiraz, as well as the Alborz province, on suspicion of ties to Israel. The 10,000 strong community has long been pressured to publicly express loyalty to the Islamic Republic and is banned from communicating with relatives in Israel.
Their arrests were part of a mass crackdown, in which 2,000 Iranians were arrested, including members of other minorities including Azeris, Kurds, and members of the Baha'i faith, on suspicion of collaboration with Israel.
The US State Department’s spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, issued a warning last month, telling dual nationals or American citizens not to travel to Iran.
The State Department website still warns: “Americans, including Iranian-Americans and other dual nationals, have been wrongfully detained, taken hostage by the Iranian government for months, and years. The threat of detention is even greater today. Do not travel to Iran under any circumstances.”
