Sepideh Abtahi, a documentary filmmaker, film editor and member of Khaneh Cinema (the Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds), was arrested on Wednesday morning, July 15, following a raid on her home by security forces.
Her sister announced the filmmaker’s arrest in a post on Instagram, writing that, in addition to detaining Sepideh Abtahi, security agents also confiscated several of her personal electronic devices.
In part of the post, she wrote: “This morning, several security officers came to our home. In addition to arresting my sister, Sepideh Abtahi, they took her personal electronic devices. Our home was destroyed once before during the war, and today it was destroyed again with the taking of my sister.”
Referring to Abtahi’s anti-war stance, her sister added: “Sepideh always maintained an explicit stance against war on her Instagram page and engaged in discussions with warmongers. No one doubts her peace-loving nature or her love for Iran.”
Born in 1974, Sepideh Abtahi is a member of Khaneh Cinema and the former secretary of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association (IRDFA). In recent years, she has directed and edited documentaries focusing on civil movements and the lives of women in Iran.
