Zar Amir Ebrahimi led a manifestation at the festival in support of the people of Iran

On Tuesday, Zar Amir Ebrahimi led a manifestation in support of the people of Iran and the artists that have been detained by the regime. 

In 2008, Zar Amir Ebrahimi fled from the Iranian dictatorship and the risk of imprisonment. During the last months, the people across Iran are again protesting against the authoritarian regime with new force. Today, Zar Amir Ebrahimi is one of the strongest international voices of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.

Prior to the screening of the Iranian film Subtraction by Mani Haghighi at Göteborg Film Festival, Zar Amir Ebrahimi read a statement written by a group of artists, writers, and cultural practitioners called Art Culture Action Association. With her on stage was fellow jury members of Göteborg Film Festival as Sofie Gråbøl, Nahid Persson and Gizem Erdogan, as well as Swedish-Iranian filmmakers and Jonas Holmberg, Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival. 

During her speech, Amir Ebrahimi urged the spectators to sign the statement written by Art Culture Action Association. The statement calls for support and solidarity for the people of Iran and against the oppression being practiced by the regime. You find the statement here. 

“We, artists, writers, academics, and cultural practitioners from across disciplines and various countries, support the call of our Iranian colleagues to stand in solidarity with their struggle against the repressive and despotic Islamic state in Iran. We, the undersigned, unreservedly acknowledge and support the courage of all the women, men, and children of Iran in their fight for fundamental human rights and their clearly expressed desire to renew the nation’s social contract”, said Zar Amir Ebrahimi during her speech. 

Since the beginning of the revolutionary movement, 173 artists, filmmakers and art students have been tortured, jailed or are out on bail according to a list published by Art Culture Action Association. As an ending to the manifestation, Amir Ebrahimi read all 173 names aloud. 

“We demand their immediate and unconditional release, cancellation of unjust and group sentences, abolition of the death penalty, and investigation by international institutions of torture and murders committed in prisons”, said Zar Amir Ebrahimi.