A Filmmaker’s Fight Against Pressure and Imprisonment

It has been a year since outspoken artist and filmmaker Navid Mihandoost began serving his three-year sentence in Tehran's Evin Prison.

Neda Mihandoost, Navid's sister, said that after his release on bail until he was taken to Evin Prison, her brother endured relentless pressure from the Ministry of Intelligence. The authorities persistently attempted to force him into cooperating with them about the US-based activist Masih Alinejad. 

From 2020 to 2023, Navid was secretly working on a film titled Cafe, skillfully delaying his interrogators. But when he finally refused to comply with their demands, they summoned him to Evin Prison.

Who is Navid Mihandoost and Why is He Imprisoned?

Navid Mihandoost, a 52-year-old filmmaker, is known for his socially charged, often humorous works that have increasingly focused on the civil and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. Mihandoost’s troubles with the authorities began in November 2019, when he was summoned and arrested.

Mihandoost was a close friend of Ali Alinejad, the brother of US-based Iranian activist Masih Alinejad. Ali was imprisoned for his sister's activism and sentenced to eight years.

Before his 2019 arrest, Mihandoost recorded a short video in which he expressed his fears of being arrested. He explained that his friendship with Ali Alinejad had led him to offer support during Ali’s imprisonment, and this connection had resulted in his own summons. 

He emphasized that any accusations against him should be addressed in a fair and impartial setting. "I will do whatever I can to help him within the bounds of my friendship with Ali. If that is considered an accusation or a crime, then it should be addressed in a neutral setting where justice still holds some meaning," he said.

Neda Mihandoost previously told IranWire that her brother was arrested for making a documentary about Masih Alinejad’s work and life during her visits to Iran. Alinejad is renowned for her activism against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws.

The documentary was never aired. Despite being made over a decade ago, Mihandoost was prosecuted for it 11 years later. 

In 2019, Mihandoost was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and "acting against national security through membership in opposition groups with the intention of subversion." The sentence was upheld on appeal.

Neda Mihandoost told IranWire that her brother remained out on bail until August 2023, when he was forced to report to Evin Prison. He was accused of planning a film about anti-hijab girls, despite not producing any footage. His interrogators pressured him to contact Masih Alinejad and "cooperate" under the pretense of making the documentary.

The details of the "cooperation" demanded by security agents are unclear, but American media previously reported a plot by Iranian intelligence to kidnap Masih Alinejad in California.

In January 2023, a US court sought the extradition of Polad Omarov, a Georgian citizen linked to a plot to assassinate Alinejad, from the Czech Republic. Omarov and two others were charged after a man with a Kalashnikov was arrested near Alinejad's New York home.

After this incident, Alinejad was placed under police protection. It seems the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence wanted to use Mihandoost’s connections to gather information about Alinejad’s location, increasing the pressure on the filmmaker and his family.

Continued Pressure on Mihandoost Inside Prison

Neda Mihandoost shared that her brother spent the three years before his imprisonment working underground on his film Cafe, without permission from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Despite ongoing pressure from interrogators, Navid managed to delay them long enough to finish his film. Afterward, he informed them he would not cooperate.

After this, Navid was summoned by the authorities. Despite trying to avoid imprisonment, he reported to Evin Prison in August 2023, believing he had committed no crime.

Initially held in Ward 4 of Evin Prison, Navid was moved to solitary confinement after protesting the lack of medical care for a fellow inmate. In response, he began a hunger strike. Eventually, he was transferred from solitary confinement to Ward 8, where he remains. Neda said that her family's efforts to secure Navid's release have been unsuccessful. 

The new management of the Cinema House, an organization representing filmmakers in Iran, has yet to issue a statement in support of Navid. Neda said, "Unfortunately, during Mr. Asgarpour's administration, my father visited the Cinema House a week after Navid was imprisoned, but they wouldn’t give him any time. After much effort, my father finally managed to speak with someone. They keep saying they’re following up, but so far, nothing has been done."

Neda added, "At the very least, we expected them to issue a statement and support their colleague, but they haven’t done that either. We’re left wondering if the Ministry of Intelligence is playing the Cinema House, or if they’re playing us. Either way, it’s truly shameful."

Navid Mihandoost’s film Cafe, created while he was out on bail, tells the story of a director who, after being pressured and arrested by security agencies, quits filmmaking and opens a cafe. The plot begins when a young girl asks the lead character, Sohrab Sepehri, to stage a performance featuring a girl in white, trapped in a cage, holding a placard that reads, "Who will help me?"

The character’s use of humor when dealing with interrogators mirrors Navid’s own approach to life. "Navid has a remarkable spirit of courage, perseverance, and resilience. He’s always used humor to navigate difficult situations," Neda explained. "This has been true at every stage of his life."

Speaking about Navid's character, Neda said, "He believes that as a filmmaker, he has a duty to society - to be the voice of the people and to highlight the problems within his society through his work. Despite having the chance to leave Iran, Navid chose to stay."

Neda also points out the timing of Navid's summons to prison, which coincided with the revelation of an assassination plot against Masih Alinejad, "They didn’t even allow him to defend himself in court," she recalled. 

"Judge Amouzad told his lawyer to submit the defense in writing. During the hearing, Amouzad said, ‘One of my wishes is that one day Masih Alinejad will sit right here in front of me.’ Navid later joked with me, saying, ‘They can’t get their hands on Masih, so they’re taking revenge on me, the one who made a film about her.’"