Mohammad Rasoulof, an award-winning Iranian director, fled to Europe just days after being condemned to prison, lashings, and property confiscation by the Islamic Republic.
Rasoulof released a statement on Sunday and shared it with The Associated Press, saying, “I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey.”
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Just before his planned trip to the Cannes Film Festival, his lawyer informed the Associated Press last week that he received a sentence of eight years in prison and lashings. Iranian officials have yet to accept the filmmaker’s sentencing, and there has been no immediate remark on his departure, according to the news wire.
Rasoulof slammed the Iranian government in an Instagram post on Monday, calling it tyrannical and savage.
“If geographical Iran suffers under your religious dictatorship, cultural Iran lives on in the minds of millions of Iranians forced to flee Iran as a result of your savagery, and no authority can impose its will on it. He wrote, “I am now a resident of cultural Iran.”
According to the Associated Press, Rasoulof faced charges after co-signing a letter urging authorities to “put your gun down” during rallies over a 2022 building collapse in Abadan that killed at least 29 people.
Babak Paknia, Mr. Rasoulof’s lawyer, told the Associated Press that he issued this judgment because he signed statements in support of the Iranian people. He stated that the court found such words, along with his tweets and other social activity, to be instances of ‘action against national security.’
Pakina informed the news agency that Tehran’s Revolutionary Court would try him. Rasoulof’s lawyer said that in addition to his prison term, he will face floggings, fines, and asset seizures.
Rasoulof was scheduled to visit the Cannes Film Festival later this month to present his new feature, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” He is well known for his drama film “There Is No Evil,” which explores the usage of the death sentence in Iran.
He has faced multiple prison sentences, film restrictions, and travel bans in Iran, which condemn Western-influenced artists.
