Mehdi Mahmudyan, an Iranian writer and co-author of the acclaimed film It Was Just an Unfortunate Accident, has been arrested in Tehran, according to reports from film representatives. His detention comes only weeks before the Academy Awards ceremony, where the film has received multiple nominations.
Mahmudyan was reportedly taken into custody on Saturday. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific charges against him. However, his arrest follows closely after he joined 16 others in signing a public statement sharply criticizing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and condemning the government’s violent response to recent protests.
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Two other individuals who signed the same statement—journalist Vida Rabbani and political activist Abdullah Momeni—were also detained in recent days.
Director Jafar Panahi Condemns the Arrest
The arrest has drawn strong condemnation from Jafar Panahi, the internationally celebrated director of It Was Just an Unfortunate Accident. In a statement released on Sunday, Panahi described Mahmudyan as more than a political detainee.
“Mehdi Mahmudyan is not only a human rights advocate or a prisoner of conscience,” Panahi said. “He is a rare moral presence—someone who listens, observes, and bears witness. His absence is immediately felt, both inside prison walls and beyond them.”
Panahi himself was among the signatories of the January 28 statement, which described the killing of protesters as an organized crime carried out by the state. The statement accused Iranian authorities of systematically targeting citizens who took to the streets demanding political change.
Film Nominated for Two Academy Awards
It Was Just an Unfortunate Accident has been nominated for Best Screenplay and Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 15. Although filmed secretly inside Iran, the movie was officially submitted by France for the international category.
The film, which won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, is a revenge drama inspired by Panahi’s own experience in prison. During his incarceration, Panahi met Mahmudyan—an encounter that later shaped the film’s narrative and themes.
Panahi has previously referred to Mahmudyan as a “pillar of strength” among inmates, emphasizing his influence and resilience within the prison system.
The screenplay was jointly written by Jafar Panahi, Mehdi Mahmudyan, Nader Saiver, and Shadmehr Rastin.
Panahi’s Ongoing Clash With Iranian Authorities
Despite international acclaim, Panahi continues to face legal persecution in Iran. In the fall, he was sentenced to one year in prison and barred from leaving the country for two years after being convicted of what authorities described as “propaganda against the system.”
Nevertheless, Panahi traveled abroad to present the film and later stated that he intended to return to Iran despite the ruling.
The filmmaker has repeatedly used global platforms to speak out against repression in his home country. Last month, while accepting an award in New York, Panahi delivered a stark message about the situation in Iran.
“What is happening in Iran today is not cinema—it is reality,” he said. “Protesters are being shot in the streets. The real scenes are unfolding outside, where the state is shedding blood to delay its collapse.”
Growing International Concern
Mahmudyan’s arrest adds to a growing list of writers, journalists, and artists detained amid Iran’s ongoing political unrest. As the Academy Awards approach, international attention on the case is expected to intensify, further spotlighting the intersection of artistic expression, political dissent, and state repression in Iran.
