Learn languages naturally with fresh, real content!

tap to translate recording

Explore By Region

flag Iranian screenwriter Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested in Tehran on Feb. 1, 2026, for signing a statement condemning Iran’s government, days before the Oscars.

flag Iranian screenwriter Mehdi Mahmoudian, co-writer of the Oscar-nominated film *It Was Just an Accident*, was arrested in Tehran on February 1, 2026, just weeks before the Academy Awards. flag Authorities have not disclosed the charges, but the arrest followed his signing of a statement condemning Iran’s Supreme Leader and the government’s violent crackdown on protests. flag Two other signatories, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni, were also detained. flag Mahmoudian, a co-writer with director Jafar Panahi, was described by Panahi as a moral figure and prisoner of conscience. flag The film, inspired by Panahi’s own imprisonment, won the Palme d’Or and is nominated for best international film and best screenplay. flag Panahi, who faces a one-year prison sentence and travel ban, continues to speak out against the regime’s repression despite ongoing restrictions.

64 Articles