Cinematographer and Director Arrested in Ongoing Crackdown

Leila Naqdpari, a renowned cinematographer, and Ali Noorani, a director, composer and writer, were arrested last night, according to Iranian activists. 

The Bazar Civil Protest Telegram channel shared an image of Noorani with information stating that he was arrested when security forces raided his house.

He was taken to an undisclosed location.

Babak Ghafooriazer, a film journalist, confirmed the arrest of Naqdpari, a cinematographer and member of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Film Designers Association. 

Details regarding the arresting authority, the location of her arrest and her current situation remain unknown.

Naqdipari had faced multiple summonses over the past year for sharing a video in support of the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini a year ago. 

She was briefly arrested and interrogated at Tehran airport last year while attempting to leave the country for a film training workshop, resulting in the confiscation of her passport and a one-year travel ban.

Naqdpari is the wife of film director Majid Barzegar, who was sentenced to imprisonment and banned from professional activities last year due to his civic and artistic works. 

Iranian security forces also arrested Hanieh Tavassoli, a renowned film actress, Saturday night. 

Numerous, celebrities, activists, lawyers and journalists have been arrested for what security officials describe as “fanning the flames of the riots” after well-known Iranian public figures voiced their support online for the latest wave of anti-government protests.