Two years after Mahsa Jina Amini’s tragic death in 2022 at the hands of the so-called morality police, Iran’s creative community has emerged as a formidable force in the ongoing struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the same time, Iranian artists’ influential work and high-profile activism have also made them vulnerable to political persecution at the hands of the clerical establishment ruling the country.
International recognition of the acute risk creatives face in Iran is necessary to ensure their vital role in advocating for human rights continues. Artists often struggle more than other human rights defenders (HRD)—such as activists, lawyers, and journalists—in receiving humanitarian protection, as art is not always recognized as a medium for dissent or political expression. If Iranian creatives receive due recognition as HRDs, they will be better situated to access support when their rights are threatened or violated, as they have been since the outbreak of the 2022 protests.
Tens of thousands of people joined the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in response to Amini’s death, and from the earliest days of these protests, artists, musicians, authors, and creatives shaped the movement’s messaging. Their work transformed the raw emotions of the protestors into a powerful storm, clearly articulating the demands of those risking their lives on the streets of Iran’s cities and towns.
The pivotal role of contemporary artists in Iran has been captured in a first-of-its-kind report by Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), “I Create, I Resist; Iranian Artists on the Frontline of Social Change.” The report documents how creative forces in Iran turned a nationwide protest into a cultural uprising that resonated across the globe and detailed the corresponding government’s effort to target fourteen of these artists with censorship, arbitrary arrests, and other forms of repression.
One of the most poignant examples of how art fueled the protests is Shervin Hajipour’s song “Baraye” (“For the sake of”). Composed of a series of Persian language posts on X (formerly Twitter) in which Iranians expressed their frustrations with the regime and their hopes for a different future, “Baraye” became the movement’s de facto anthem within a few days of its release. Its widespread popularity alarmed authorities, who promptly banned the song and sentenced Hajipour to three years in prison for “spreading propaganda against the regime,” though he has since been granted amnesty in a public “gesture of goodwill” by authorities. Though the regime took punitive action against the artist and censored his song, “Baraye” continued to have a strong effect, infiltrating the hearts of millions and giving a voice to the leaderless, decentralized demonstrations that captured global attention.
Visual artists, too, have played a crucial role in giving the movement a unique character. Graffiti, illustrations, paintings, and graphic designs, among others, have emerged as powerful tools of resistance, transforming public spaces into canvases of dissent. For example, a group of illustrators and designers known as the Iranian Women of Graphic Design created an open-access archive with hundreds of free posters for use in the Woman, Life, Freedom demonstrations. Their illustrations, particularly those depicting Amini or young Iranian women cutting their hair in defiance of the regime, have become iconic images associated with the protests. These artworks are not just acts of defiance but also symbols of the nationwide unwritten coalition of artists who, for the first time, have actively engaged in a protest movement with no singular leadership.
The situation for artists in Iran, however, has been perilous, as seen in the severe persecution of artists like musician Toomaj Salehi, artist Atena Farghadani, and director Mohammad Rasoulof. In 2022, Salehi, a rapper known for his politically charged lyrics, was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death for his outspoken support of the protests, though his sentence was commuted in August. In 2023, Farghadani, a cartoonist, faced imprisonment for her satirical drawings that criticized the regime. Most recently, in June, Rasoulof was forced to flee Iran after the international release of his Cannes award-winning film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which uses actual footage of the 2022 protests and features several female characters without headscarves. While these are just three examples of higher profile artists who have suffered under the regime’s oppressive tactics, many lesser-known creatives continue to contend with a regime that is intent on controlling artistic production. Such artists include Daniel Moghadam and Vafa Ahmadpour, two dissident rappers arrested in May after releasing their music video “Amadeh Bash” (“Be Prepared”), highlighting the crises and challenges that Iranians are forced to confront under the country’s current leadership. The pair remain imprisoned as they await a final sentence.
Over the past several years, Iran’s law enforcement apparatus has increasingly been deployed to arbitrarily arrest and prosecute artists under the pretext of protecting national security and public morals. In 2022 alone, over a hundred artists were allegedly arrested and subjected to work bans for demonstrating their support of Woman, Life, Freedom. While it is difficult to ascertain the total number of artists targeted under these laws, at least twelve criminal cases have been brought against artists over the past two years as a direct result of their work or expressions of solidarity. Award-winning Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery is among those. She was arrested and sentenced to six years on the charge of “spreading propaganda against the regime” in 2022 for photographing a Woman, Life, Freedom protest. Though Moaiery was later granted amnesty for this charge, she has been arbitrarily arrested several times throughout her career and still must serve a two year sentence for a previous case leveled against her. Today, Moaiery is one of fifty-three artists and activists represented by AFI who are in the process of relocating from Iran for fear of persecution in light of the escalating arrests of artists and dissidents in the country.
The Islamic Republic has also used bureaucratic offices to target artists. In particular, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has been instrumental in silencing artists through online and physical surveillance, the issuance of work bans against artists, and the forced closure of publishing houses, theaters, and arts organizations. In October 2023, the ministry published a list of twenty actresses banned from working in Iran for appearing in public or on camera without headscarves. Among them was Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the 2016 Oscar-award-winning film The Salesman. This state-led persecution highlights the extent to which the regime fears the power of art as a tool for social and political change.
In the context of such severe repression, the international community should recognize Iranian artists as human rights defenders. Their work is not merely artistic expression but a form of political activism that champions freedom of speech and justice. There exists an urgent need for international support, including immigration relief and resettlement assistance, to protect these artists from the severe repercussions of their work in Iran and ensure their voices are not silenced by the oppressive forces of the Iranian regime.
Reflecting on the role of artists in Iran’s struggle, it is clear that their courage and creativity are vital to the movement for freedom and justice. As Moaiery poignantly states, “Art is the last sanctuary of free thought.” This sentiment encapsulates the resilience of Iran’s artistic community, who continue to create and resist, even in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Source: Atlantic Council