After giving an interview to Channel 13 in which he lambasted the government in Tehran and the implementation of Islamic law, viewers are understandably concerned about the allegations that Mehdi Bahman is facing following his arrest.
According to Iran International, Mehdi Bahman was an Iranian writer, painter, and illustrator who worked toward religious cooperation. Bahman was also a religious coexistence activist.
The Iranian artist, who also works as a scholar of the relationship between religions, has decorated volumes from the Bible, the Torah, and the Psalms.
Bahman has been working on illuminating religious books for the cause of peaceful coexistence amongst religions for over 20 years, and two illuminated copies of the Book of Psalms and Ezra are preserved in the collection of the Library of the United States Congress. Bahman’s work can be seen there.
In recent years, Mehdi has collaborated with Masoumi Tehrani, a dissident Shia priest, to produce artworks that incorporate symbols from a variety of religious traditions.
In addition to this, he had presented them as gifts to the religious leaders of Iran’s minority faiths, including those of the Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, Sunni Islamic, Mandaean Sabian, and Baha’i faiths.
It is claimed in one of his publications that the Iranian people have no problem with Israel or Jews anywhere else in the globe, and that they want relations to be normalized between Iran and Israel. This assertion was translated into Hebrew.
Mehdi Bahman Arrest: What Did He Do?
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Iran International was shown to have After giving an interview to Israeli TV Channel 13, Mehdi was taken into custody the following day on October 12.
Mehdi Bahman, a writer and painter, was taken into custody by security authorities on October 13, 2022, at his home in Tehran, and he is currently being held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
After the initial outbreak of the demonstrations, the author gave his interview to Channel 13 while he was being held in custody. In April of 2022, he approached an Israeli woman with the intention of having her read his works in their Hebrew translations.
During the course of the interview, Mehamn voiced his disapproval of the government in Tehran as well as the imposition of Islamic law. He also advocated for improved relations between Israel and Iran.
The Israeli illustrator stated to Channel 13 that he had no fear of getting imprisoned for speaking with an Israeli channel and that he had done it intentionally.
Why Is an Iranian Illustrator Punished with the Death Penalty?
In an interview with Channel 13 Israel Television, the Times of Israel reported that an Iranian novelist disclosed he was sentenced to death after encouraging peace.
There was no formal confirmation of the sentencing from Iranian officials or state media in the country.
Iran accuses Iran International, a satellite news program broadcast in Persian that was originally mostly owned by a Saudi individual, of being responsible for recent rallies around the country that descended into violence and resulted in deaths.
Iran International, on the other hand, proclaims itself to be a “independent news organization providing uncensored, accurate, and impartial news to a Farsi-speaking viewership within and outside Iran.”
Since the death of Iranian-Kurdish Mahsa Amini, 22, who was arrested in Tehran on September 16 for allegedly breaching the nation’s severe dress code for women, Iran has been rocked by protests. Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran on September 16 for allegedly violating the nation’s rigorous dress code for women.
What are the allegations that have been made against Mehdi Bahman?
According to opposition-affiliated media on December 29, 2022, the authorities have found a dissident novelist guilty of “espionage” and have sentenced him to death. The charges stem from an interview that the author granted earlier in the year to an Israeli television channel.
According to the reports, the Revolutionary Court had handed down its verdict. According to opposition organisations, as of recent there have been at least 11 people sentenced to death for their role in protests, and more than 100 more face the possibility of receiving the death penalty.
At the beginning of this week, a group called Iran Human Rights (IHR) based in Oslo revealed the names of at least one hundred Iranians who were arrested during the more than one hundred days of statewide rallies to face accusations that carry the death penalty.
In addition, there are five female detainees on the IHR list, and his report stated that a large number of those detainees have restricted access to legal representation.
The organization Human Rights Watch provided an updated death toll on Tuesday, which stated that 476 demonstrators had been murdered.
At the beginning of the month of December, the primary security body in Iran published a list of more than 200 people, including security professionals, who had been executed during protests.
According to statistics from the United Nations, there have been at least 14,000 protestors arrested around the country since the beginning of the unrest.
