Women's Voices Now Filmmaker Mina Keshavarz Arrested Without Charge, Held In Evin Prison, Iran
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LOS ANGELES - Californer -- Mina Keshavarz's apartment was raided in Tehran, Iran, on May 10, 2022. Authorities provided no explanation for the search, and no reason(s) for her arrest. She was apprehended with fellow documentary filmmaker, Firoozeh Khosravani. Their personal and work belongings were also confiscated. To date, there have been no formal charges made against the filmmakers.

"Mina Keshavarz is an incredibly talented documentary filmmaker who tells the stories of Iranian women to show their strength, power, and resilience. She is so proud of her country and its people, and I know how important it is for her to be able to live and work in Iran to continue her filmmaking work. For those of us who cannot travel to Iran, Mina transports us there, allowing us to know the Iranian people and to see their beautiful country in all of its complexities. I am deeply distressed to find out about her arrest and I look forward to news of her immediate release so she may continue to create films that share with the world the vibrancy of Iranian culture, life, and the stories of its women." - Heidi Basch-Harod, Executive Director, Women's Voices Now

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Born in 1984, Mina Keshavarz is an internationally recognized documentary filmmaker who participated in the prestigious Tribeca Film Institute, Berlinale Talents, and whose films have been awarded in several international film festivals including the IDFA Amsterdam, Sheffield Doc Fest, Women's Voices Now, Porto Femme International Film Festival, among others.

Women's Voices Now (WVN), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (http://www.womensvoicesnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2010_08_30_wvn_irs_approval_letter_updated-2.pdf), uses film to drive positive social change that advances women's and girls' rights globally. We promote, produce, and share social-change films focusing on women's and girls' rights issues, providing active support to filmmakers who give voice to unheard women and girls, and activating civil society by moving audiences from empathy to action. We envision a global culture shift in which communities and institutions believe in the value of gender equality, and adapt their behaviors and actions to support systematic advancement of women's and girls' rights. WVN has held special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2017.

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