From Prison Bars to Red Carpet Scars: The Cosmic Twist Behind the Oscar Writer’s Dramatic Bail Breakout!
Added on February 17, 2026 inMovie News Cards
Popular
Numerology Meets Netflix: Get Your Daily Dose of Cosmic Cinema Suggestions Powered By Our AI Astrologer. Find The Show Or Movie You Were Meant To See!
Isn’t it wild how the stars seem to conspire when truth-tellers rise? Mehdi Mahmoudian, a fierce human rights defender and co-writer of Jafar Panahi’s Oscar-nominated film It Was Just an Accident, has been released from prison in Iran after 17 grueling days. Alongside fellow signatories Vida Rabbani and Abdollah Momeni, Mehdi dared to speak out against a brutal crackdown ordered by Iran’s supreme leader — a move that cost countless lives. Now, free on bail, their courage shines brighter than any constellation tonight, reminding us that speaking truth to power often comes at a steep price. So, with Mercury retrograde stirring the waters of communication, could this release be a cosmic nudge toward change, or just a fleeting glimmer before the storm? Dive deeper into this gripping story of art, activism, and resilience. LEARN MORE
Mehdi Mahmoudian, the Oscar-nominated co-writer of Jafar Panahi‘s It Was Just an Accident, has been released from prison in Iran, after 17 days inside, according to local media reports.
Mahmoudian was released from Nowshahr Prison along with Vida Rabbani and Abdollah Momeni, all arrested for signing the so-called “Statement of the Seventeen” condemning the actions of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in authorizing the crackdown on anti-government protesters last month, which resulted in the massacre of tens of thousands.
The three were reportedly released on bail of 6.5 billion tomans ($10,000) each, a conditional release by the Revolutionary Court through their legal counsel.
“Mehdi Mahmoudian, Vida Rabbani and Abdollah Momeni peacefully exercised their right to express their views, but the regime responded by accusing them of ‘insulting the Supreme Leader’ and ‘propaganda against the Islamic Republic.’” Panahi said in a statement following news of their release. “For years, such charges have been used as tools to criminalize thought, silence criticism and instill fear in society. Turning a civil and peaceful act into a national security case is a clear sign of intolerance toward the independent voices of citizens.”
Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, co-written by Panahi, Mahmoudian, Nader Saeiver and Shadhmer Rastin, won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes film festival and is nominated for two Academy Awards, in the best original screenplay and best international feature categories. The 98th Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 15.
Mahmoudian is an Iranian writer, human rights defender, political journalist and blogger, who has previously served a five-year prison term (2009-2014) on charges of “mutiny against the regime” for his role in documenting complaints of abuse of detainees at the Kahrizak Detention Center. His reporting help lead to the closure of the detention center in July 2009. Mahmoudian also worked with the Center for the Defense of Prisoners’ Rights.
He has spent nearly a decade of his life imprisoned for his civic and journalistic activities. Panahi and Mahmoudian met in prison and the director brought him on as a co-screenwriter to add authenticity and depth to It Was Just an Accident. The film follows ex-prisoners who believe they have spotted their former torturer on the streets of Tehran. After kidnapping him, they struggle to decide whether to take revenge or show mercy.
Mahmoudian, Rabbani and Momeni were three of 17 signatures to the letter that led to their arrest. Other signatories include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
This will close in 0 seconds
This will close in 0 seconds
){kind=link}