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{{Infobox journalist
{{Short description|Iranian journalist and filmmaker}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Maziar Bahari
| name = Maziar Bahari
| image = [[File:Maziar by Paul Kensington.jpg|200px]]
| image = Maziar Bahari (101559).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|05|25}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|05|25}}
| birth_place = [[Tehran, Iran]]
| birth_place = [[Tehran]], [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]]
| death_date =
⚫
| occupation = Filmmaker and Journalist
| death_place =
⚫
| URL = http://www.maziarbahari.com
⚫
| occupation = Filmmaker, journalist
| spouse = Paola Gourley
| alma_mater = [[Concordia University]]
| children = 1
| citizenship = [[Iran|Iranian]]<br />[[Canadian]]
⚫
| website = {{URL|www.maziarbahari.com}}
}}
}}


'''Maziar Bahari''' ('''مازیار بهاری''', (born 1967) is an [[Iranian Canadian]] [[journalism|journalist]], [[film maker]] and [[human rights activist]]. <ref name="The Daily Show">{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-6-2011/exclusive---maziar-bahari-extended-interview-pt--1}}</ref> He was a reporter for ''[[Newsweek]]'' from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the [[Iranian government]] from June 2009 to October 20, 2009,<ref name="ap-release">{{cite news|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5LLg8-1YoJsU_Gb3cT9t8Ylbe0AD9BF22G00|title=Newsweek: Journalist detained in Iran now in UK|date=2009-10-20|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2009-10-21}}</ref><ref name="newsweek-release">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/218283 |title=Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahari Released in Iran|publisher=Newsweek|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref> and has written a book about his imprisonment, ''[[Then They Came for Me]]''.
'''Maziar Bahari''' ({{langx|fa|مازیار بهاری}}; born May 25, 1967) is an [[Iranian Canadian|Iranian-Canadian]]<ref name="globeandmail2009">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/maziar-bahari-canadian-scapegoat-in-iran/article4214148/ |title=Maziar Bahari Canadian scapegoat in Iran |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=July 8, 2009 |access-date=November 24, 2014 }}</ref> [[journalism|journalist]], [[filmmaker]] and [[human rights activist]].<ref name="The Daily Show">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-6-2011/exclusive---maziar-bahari-extended-interview-pt--1 |title=Exclusive - Maziar Bahari Extended Interview Pt. 1 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 06/06/11 - Video Clip &#124; Comedy Central |publisher=Thedailyshow.com |date=June 6, 2011|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> He was a reporter for ''[[Newsweek]]'' from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the [[Iranian government]] from June 21, 2009 to October 17, 2009,<ref name="app-release">{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5LLg8-1YoJsU_Gb3cT9t8Ylbe0AD9BF22G00|title=Newsweek: Journalist detained in Iran now in UK|date=October 20, 2009|agency=Associated Press|access-date=October 21, 2009}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="newsweek-release">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/218283 |title=Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahari Released in Iran|magazine=Newsweek|access-date=October 20, 2009}}</ref> and has written a family memoir, ''[[Then They Came for Me]]'', a [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' best seller]]. His memoir is the basis for [[Jon Stewart|Jon Stewart's]] 2014 film ''[[Rosewater (film)|Rosewater]]''. Bahari later founded the IranWire citizen journalism news site, the freedom of expression campaign Journalism Is Not A Crime and the education and public art organization [[Paint the Change]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.paintthechange.me/|title=#PaintTheChange|website=#PaintTheChange|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref>


==Family and education==
==Family and education==
Bahari was born in [[Tehran, Iran]] but moved to Canada in 1988 to study film and political science. His family has been involved in dissent politics in Iran, his father was imprisoned by the shah's regime in the 1950s, and his sister Maryam under the revolutionary government of [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] in the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2011/06/26/maziar-bahari-on-the-iranian-jailers-who-tortured-his-family.html `If You Think That’s Painful ...’] by Maziar Bahari| June 26, 2011 </ref>
Bahari was born in [[Tehran]], [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]], but moved to Pakistan in 1987 before he immigrated to Canada in 1988 to study communications.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/maziar-bahari-57354833/|title=Maziar Bahari {{!}} Biography and Filmography {{!}} 1965|last=Staff|first=Hollywood.com|date=February 2, 2015|work=Hollywood.com|access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref> His family has been involved in dissident politics in Iran: his father was imprisoned by the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]]'s regime in the 1950s, and his sister Maryam under the revolutionary government of [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] in the 1980s. He is married to Paola Gourley, an Italian-English lawyer working in London,<ref name="newsweek1">{{cite web|last=Dickey|first=Christopher|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2009/08/03/waiting-for-maziar.html |title=100 Iranians on trial, one baby's future in the balance - The Daily Beast |work=Newsweek|date=August 3, 2009|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> who gave birth to their first child in October 2009 shortly after his release from prison.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bahari |first=Maziar |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/06/03/136862056/then-they-came-for-journalist-maziar-bahari |title='Then They Came For' Journalist Maziar Bahari |newspaper=NPR.org |publisher=NPR |access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref>
He is married to Paola Gourley, an Italian-English lawyer working in London,<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2009/08/03/waiting-for-maziar.html Waiting for Maziar]| by Christopher Dickey| August 04, 2009</ref> who gave birth to their first child in October 2009 shortly after his release from prison.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/2011/06/03/136862056/then-they-came-for-journalist-maziar-bahari 'Then They Came For' Journalist Maziar Bahari]| 3 June 2011 </ref>


==Career==
==Career==
He graduated with a degree in communications from [[Concordia University (Montreal)|Concordia University]] in Montreal. Soon after Bahari made his first film, ''The Voyage of the [[MS St. Louis|Saint Louis]].'' The film told the story of the St. Louis, the ship carrying 937 [[German Jewish]] refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939, and were turned away by both [[Cuba]] and the [[United States]], ultimately forced to return to the dominion of the [[Third Reich]]. In producing the film, Bahari became the first Muslim to make a film about the Holocaust. When asked what motivated him to make the film, he cited the courses he took at Concordia, where he: <blockquote><p>studied the modern history of the Jews and I was fascinated by the history of the Jews in North America. I took a course on Freud and religion and the professor talked a lot about early 20th century anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Canada. I had no idea that even up until the 1950s Jews were discriminated against in North America, so I wanted to explore that further. As an immigrant, I was interested in the history of Jewish immigration from Europe to America. So I looked for a story to combine all these elements and came across the story of the St. Louis.</blockquote></p> Later, while he was imprisoned in Iran the film "haunted" him, with his interrogators accusing him of being on a mission to work for [[Zionists]]. <ref>{{cite web|author=Nadine Epstein|url=http://www.momentmag.com/|title=118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison|date=July/August 2011|work=Moment Magazine|accessdate=June 30, 2011}}</ref>
He graduated with a degree in communications from [[Concordia University]] in [[Montreal]] in 1993, before continuing some additional studies at the nearby [[McGill University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Maziar Bahari|url = https://www.concordia.ca/alumni-friends/applause/great-concordians/maziar-bahari.html|website = www.concordia.ca|access-date = 2016-01-25}}</ref> Soon after, Bahari made his first film, ''The Voyage of the [[MS St. Louis|Saint Louis]]'', about the attempt by 937 [[German Jewish]] refugees to escape Nazi Germany on that ship in 1939, who were turned away by [[Cuba]], the [[United States]], and Canada, and ultimately forced to return to the [[Third Reich]]. In producing the film, Bahari became the first Muslim to make a film about the Holocaust. When asked what motivated him to make the film, he cited the courses he took at Concordia, where he:
<blockquote>
studied the modern history of the Jews and I was fascinated by the history of the Jews in North America. I took a course on Freud and religion and the professor talked a lot about early 20th century anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Canada. I had no idea that even up until the 1950s Jews were discriminated against in North America, so I wanted to explore that further. As an immigrant, I was interested in the history of Jewish immigration from Europe to America. So I looked for a story to combine all these elements and came across the story of the St. Louis.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison - Page 2 of 3 - Moment Magazine|url = http://www.momentmag.com/118-days-in-irans-evin-prison/2/|website = Moment Magazine|date = 19 July 2011|access-date = 2016-02-16|language = en-US}}</ref></blockquote>


Later, while he was imprisoned in Iran the film "haunted" him, with his interrogators accusing him of being on a mission to work for [[Zionists]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Nadine Epstein|url=http://www.momentmag.com/|title=118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison|date=July–August 2011|work=Moment Magazine|access-date=June 30, 2011}}</ref>
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In 1997 he began reporting in Iran and making independent documentaries and in 1998, Bahari became ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine's Iran correspondent.<ref name="nytimes-nwk">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/media/04journalist.html |title=Newsweek Steps Up Effort to Free Reporter in Iran |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=2009-08-03 |publisher=The New York Times |accessdate=2009-10-21}}</ref>


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In 1997 Bahari began reporting in Iran and making independent documentaries, and in 1998 he became ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine's correspondent in Iran.<ref name="nytimes-nwk">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/media/04journalist.html |title=Newsweek Steps Up Effort to Free Reporter in Iran |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=2009-08-03 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2009-10-21}}</ref>
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He has produced a number of other documentaries and news reports for [[Channel 4]], [[BBC]] and other broadcasters around the world on subjects as varied as private lives of [[Ayatollahs]], [[African architecture]], Iranians' passion for [[football]] and contemporary history of [[Iran]]. In 2003, Harvard Film Archive praised Bahari's work for, "In a country known for neorealist fiction films that focus on small events in the lives of individuals, the work of Iranian director Maziar Bahari is somewhat anomalous. Employing a traditional documentary style to explore more far-reaching cultural events, Bahari’s films provide a glimpse inside contemporary Iranian culture as they reveal the human element behind the headlines and capture cultural truths through the lens of individual experience. Representing a new generation of young Iranian filmmakers, Bahari’s trenchant looks at social issues in his country have brought both controversy and international acclaim." <ref>{{cite news|url=http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2003mayjun/bahari.html}}</ref>


He has produced a number of other documentaries and news reports for [[Channel 4]], [[BBC]] and other broadcasters around the world on subjects as varied as private lives of [[Ayatollahs]], [[African architecture]], Iranians' passion for [[association football|football]] and contemporary history of [[Iran]]. In 2003, Harvard Film Archive praised Bahari's work:
⚫
Bahari's films have won several awards and nominations including an Emmy in 2005. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rorypecktrust.org/page/3047/Maziar+Bahari/26}}</ref> A retrospective of Bahari's films was organized in November 2007 by the [[International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/207315?from=rss|title=Global Writers and Filmmakers Call for Bahari's Release|date=2009-07-17|publisher=Newsweek|accessdate=2009-10-21}}</ref> In September 2009, Bahari was nominated by [[Desmond Tutu]] for the [[Prince of Asturias Award]] for Concord, widely known as Spain's [[Nobel Prize]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/opinion/09wed3.html |title=Free Maziar Bahari |date=2009-09-08 |publisher=New York Times |accessdate=2009-10-21}}</ref>
<blockquote>
⚫
"In a country known for neorealist fiction films that focus on small events in the lives of individuals, the work of Iranian director Maziar Bahari is somewhat anomalous. Employing a traditional documentary style to explore more far-reaching cultural events, Bahari's films provide a glimpse inside contemporary Iranian culture as they reveal the human element behind the headlines and capture cultural truths through the lens of individual experience. Representing a new generation of young Iranian filmmakers, Bahari's trenchant looks at social issues in his country have brought both controversy and international acclaim."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2003mayjun/bahari.html |title=Maziar Bahari - Harvard Film Archive |publisher=Hcl.harvard.edu |date=2003-05-13 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref></blockquote>

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Bahari's films have won several awards and nominations including an Emmy in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rorypecktrust.org/page/3047/Maziar+Bahari/26 |title=Previous Finalists |publisher=The Rory Peck Trust |access-date=2011-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324205741/http://www.rorypecktrust.org/page/3047/Maziar+Bahari/26 |archive-date=2012-03-24 }}</ref> A retrospective of Bahari's films was organized in November 2007 by the [[International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/207315?from=rss|title=Global Writers and Filmmakers Call for Bahari's Release|date=2009-07-17|magazine=Newsweek|access-date=2009-10-21}}</ref> In September 2009, Bahari was nominated by [[Desmond Tutu]] for the [[Prince of Asturias Award]] for Concord, widely known as Spain's [[Nobel Prize]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/opinion/09wed3.html |title=Free Maziar Bahari |date=2009-09-08 |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=2009-10-21}}</ref> In 2020, [[US Holocaust Memorial Museum]] conferred its highest honor [[Elie Wiesel]] Award on Bahari for his exceptional courage in bringing the truth of the Holocaust to Iran and throughout the Middle East. The Museum praised Bahari for being a powerful voice against antisemitism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ushmm.org/information/about-the-museum/the-elie-wiesel-award/2020|title=2020 Elie Wiesel Award — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|website=www.ushmm.org|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref>


== Arrest, imprisonment, release ==
== Arrest, imprisonment, release ==
On the morning of June 21 2009, during the [[2009 Iranian Election Protests]], Bahari was arrested at his family's home in Tehran and taken to [[Evin Prison]]. No charge was made against him. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2009/06/20/newsweek-reporter-arrested.html}}</ref> In July, while incarcerated, he appeared
On the morning of June 21, 2009, during the [[2009 Iranian presidential election protests]], Bahari was arrested at his family's home in Tehran and taken to [[Evin Prison]].<ref name="NEWSWEEK Reporter Arrested">{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2009/06/20/newsweek-reporter-arrested.html |title=NEWSWEEK Reporter Arrested Without Charge in Iran - The Daily Beast |publisher=Newsweek.com |date=2009-06-20 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> In July, while incarcerated, he appeared<ref name="cbs-bahari">{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/mon-june-6-2011-maziar-baharitag=contentMain;contentBody |title=Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention |author=Gravshon, Michael |author2=Magratten, Drew |date=2009-11-22 |work=60 Minutes |publisher=CBS News |pages=2–3 |access-date=2009-12-01 |archive-date=2024-05-24 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240524191730/https://www.webcitation.org/5lgs9JfvF?url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/19/60minutes/main5712199_page2.shtml%3Ftag=contentMain;contentBody |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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in a televised confession (broadcast internationally by [[PressTV]])<ref name=ptv/> telling his interviewer that Western journalists worked as spies;<ref name="newsweek-118">{{cite magazine|title=Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran |author=Bahari, Maziar |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/223862 |magazine=Newsweek |page=5 |access-date=2009-12-01 |archive-date=2009-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125142426/http://www.newsweek.com/id/223862/page/5 |url-status=dead }}</ref> that he had covered "illegal demonstrations" and "illegal gatherings", and was helping promote a "[[colour revolution]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063002105.html|title=Iran's Leadership Cautions Against Protest After Certification of Vote Results|last=Erdbrink|first=Thomas|author2=William Branigin|date=2009-07-01|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2009-10-21}}</ref><ref name="canada-bahari">{{cite web|title=Journalist Maziar Bahari released from Iranian jail |url=http://www.canada.com/news/Iranian+Canadian+journalist+Bahari+home+London+Reports/2124470/story.html?id=2124470 |author=Canwest News Service |author-link=Canwest News Service |date=2009-10-20 |publisher=canada.com |access-date=2009-12-01 |archive-date=2012-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107130453/http://www2.canada.com/news/iranian+canadian+journalist+bahari+home+london+reports/2124470/story.html?id=2124470 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="cbs-bahari">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/mon-june-6-2011-maziar-baharitag=contentMain;contentBody|title=Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention|author=Gravshon, Michael|coauthors=Magratten, Drew|date=2009-11-22|work=60 Minutes|publisher=CBS News|pages=2–3|accessdate=2009-12-01|archivedate=2009-12-01|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5lgs9JfvF}}</ref>
in a televised confession (broadcast internationally by [[PressTV]]<ref name=pressTV/>) stating that Western journalists worked as spies (due in part to an interview with [[Jason Jones (actor)|Jason Jones]], a correspondent of ''[[The Daily Show]]'', where Jones was dressed as a spy as a joke),<ref name="newsweek-118">{{cite web|title=Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran|author=Bahari, Maziar|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/223862|publisher=Newsweek|page=5|accessdate=2009-12-01|archivedate=2009-12-01|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5lgsqODyd}}</ref>;
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that he had covered "illegal demonstrations" and "illegal gatherings", and was helping promote a "[[colour revolution]]" (a peaceful democratic regime-change movement).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063002105.html|title=Iran's Leadership Cautions Against Protest After Certification of Vote Results|last=Erdbrink|first=Thomas|coauthors=William Branigin|date=2009-07-01|publisher=The Washington Post|accessdate=2009-10-21}}</ref><ref name="canada-bahari">{{cite web|title=Journalist Maziar Bahari released from Iranian jail|url=http://www.canada.com/news/Iranian+Canadian+journalist+Bahari+home+London+Reports/2124470/story.html?id=2124470|author=[[Canwest News Service]]|date=2009-10-20|publisher=canada.com|accessdate=2009-12-01|archivedate=2009-12-01|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5lgsUUPdu}}</ref>


Outside Iran, his confession was dismissed by his family, his colleagues and [[Reporters Without Borders]], saying that it must have come under duress. An international campaign to free him, headed by his wife included petitions launched by Committee to Protect Journalists, the Index on Censorship, PEN, and groups of documentary filmmakers.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2009/08/03/waiting-for-maziar.html Waiting for Maziar], by Christopher Dickey| August 04, 2009</ref> Newsweek ran full-page advertisements in several major newspapers calling for his release.<ref name="nytimes-nwk" /> [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] spoke publicly of his case.<ref name="ap-release"/> <ref name="newsweek-release"/><ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/219034 ‘Everyone Has Forgotten You’], by Christopher Dickey|October 22, 2009</ref>
His confession was dismissed by his family, his colleagues, and [[Reporters Without Borders]], saying that it must have come under duress. Outside Iran, an international campaign to free him was headed by his wife and included petitions launched by [[Committee to Protect Journalists]], [[Index on Censorship]], [[International PEN]], and groups of documentary filmmakers.<ref name="newsweek1"/> ''[[Newsweek]]'' ran full-page advertisements in several major newspapers calling for his release.<ref name="nytimes-nwk" /> US Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] spoke publicly of his case.<ref name="app-release" /><ref name="newsweek-release"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher Dickey |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/219034 |title=Maziar Bahari's Ordeal in Tehran Prison - The Daily Beast |publisher=Newsweek.com |date=2009-10-21 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref>


On October 20, after 118 days<ref name="newsweek-ordeal" /> in jail, Bahari was released on $300,000 bail, charged with 11 counts of espionage. He was allowed to leave the country and return to London days before the birth of his daughter.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/19/60minutes/main5712199_page4.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention]| cbsnews.com| 22 November 2009 </ref>
On October 17, after 118 days<ref name="newsweek-ordeal" /> in jail and charged with 11 counts of espionage, Bahari was released on $300,000 bail. Bahari says he was asked to promise to spy on dozens of "anti-revolutionary elements" inside and outside Iran for the Revolutionary Guard and report to them weekly (a promise that he had no intention of keeping).<ref>Bahari, Maziar ''Then They Came for Me, A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival,'' [[Random House]], 2011, p.275-6</ref> He was allowed to leave the country and return to London days before the birth of his daughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/newsweeks-bahari-recalls-iran-detention/ |title=Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention |publisher=CBS News |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref>


==Post-imprisonment==
==Post-imprisonment==
[[File:Maziar Bahari Oslo Freedom Forum 2018 (114125).jpg|thumb|Bahari at [[Oslo Freedom Forum]] in 2018]]
After his release Bahari appeared on a segment of the television program ''[[60 Minutes]]''<ref name=cbsnews>[http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5727424n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel ''60 Minutes''] on Bahari's imprisonment</ref> and was the subject of a an article in ''Newsweek'',<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2009/11/21/118-days-12-hours-54-minutes.html "118 Days, 12 Hours, 54 Minutes"]</ref> were he recounted confessing for television after being being held in solitary confinement, threatened with execution, and being repeatedly slapped, kicked, punched, and hit with a belt by his interogator.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/19/60minutes/main5712199_page3.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention], cbsnes.com| 22 November 2009</ref> He was interrogated daily, but was blindfolded or made to face away from his interrogator.<ref name="newsweek-ordeal">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/219034|title=‘Everyone Has Forgotten You’|last=Dickey |first=Christopher |date=2009-10-22|publisher=Newsweek|accessdate=2009-10-25}}</ref> Bahari's interrogator told him they knew he "was working for four different intelligence agencies: the CIA, Mossad, MI6 and Newsweek." Bahari believes it was desperation to find "any evidence to prove I was a spy" that led his captors to believe his providing [[Jason Jones (actor)|Jason Jones]] and his producer with a list of Iranians they could talk to in Iran, (which he did shortly before he was interviewed by Jones) was evidence of his being a spy.
After his release, Bahari recounted his time in prison in interviews and writings. He appeared on a segment of the television news program ''[[60 Minutes]]''<ref name=cbsnews>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5727424n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel |title=Preview: Witness – 60 Minutes |publisher=CBS News |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> and was the subject of an article in ''Newsweek''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Maziar Bahari |url=http://www.newsweek.com/2009/11/21/118-days-12-hours-54-minutes.html |title=Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran |work=Newsweek |date=2009-11-21 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> Bahari stated he confessed on television after physical and psychological torture. He was held in solitary confinement, interrogated daily (either blindfolded or made to face away from his interrogator),<ref name="newsweek-ordeal">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/219034 |title='Everyone Has Forgotten You'|last=Dickey |first=Christopher |date=2009-10-22|magazine=Newsweek|access-date=2009-10-25}}</ref> threatened with execution, and repeatedly slapped, kicked, punched, and hit with a belt by his interrogator.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/newsweeks-bahari-recalls-iran-detention/ |title=Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention |publisher=CBS News |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> Bahari's interrogator told him they knew he (Bahari) "was working for four different intelligence agencies: the [[CIA]], [[Mossad]], [[MI6]] and ''Newsweek''." Bahari believes it was desperation to find "any evidence to prove I was a spy" that led his captors to believe his providing an American TV personality with a list of Iranians they could talk to in Iran, was evidence of his being a spy. (Bahari provided such a list shortly before he was interviewed by [[Jason Jones (actor)|Jason Jones]]<ref name=NPR>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127833007&ft=1&f=13|title=A Year Later, Journalist Reflects On Iranian Unrest|date=2010-06-15|publisher=NPR|access-date=2010-07-08}}</ref> a "correspondent" of ''[[The Daily Show]]'', who dressed up as a spy as a joke for the story.)<ref name="newsweek-118" /> He believes he was targeted to intimidate other international Iranian-born journalists, who can operate free of regime minders, blend in with crowds, and understand the cultural and linguistic nuances of the moves the regime makes (unlike foreign journalists).<ref name=NPR />
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127833007&ft=1&f=13|title=A Year Later, Journalist Reflects On Iranian Unrest|date=2010-06-15|publisher=NPR|accessdate=2010-07-08}}</ref>


In interviews Bahari stated that his interrogater told him not to talk about what happened to him in prison as the [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution|Revolutionary Guards]], have "people all around the world and they can always bring me back to Iran in a bag". Bahari has stated that he will not be able to safely return to Iran until the [[Islamic Republic]] falls.<ref name=cbsnews/>
In interviews Bahari stated that his interrogator told him not to talk about what happened to him in prison, as the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|Revolutionary Guards]] have "people all around the world and they can always bring me back to Iran in a bag". Bahari has stated that he will not be able to safely return to Iran until the [[Islamic Republic]] falls.<ref name=cbsnews /> In Iran he was tried in absentia by a [[Islamic Revolutionary Court|revolutionary court]], and sentenced to thirteen and a half years' imprisonment plus 74 lashes.<ref>Bahari, Maziar ''Then They Came for Me, A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival'', [[Random House]], 2011, p.310</ref>


=== Campaign for other jailed Prisoners in Iran ===
===Campaign for other jailed journalists in Iran===
Upon his release Bahari launched a campaign in support of other jailed journalists in Iran. The name of the campaign <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cpj.org/2010/04/cpj-impact-15.php}}</ref> — Our Future Society will be a Free Society — was inspired by a quote from the leader of the Iranian revolution, [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]]. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=79690}}</ref> In an ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'' op-ed to launch the campaign Bahari wrote to Iran's [[Supreme Leader]], [[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]], "You may feel safe in your modest house, protected by thousands of revolutionary guards. But beyond them the world is changing. Iran is changing. In 1978, as the shah was doing his best to stifle his people, Ayatollah Khomeini promised that 'in an Islamic Iran the media will have the freedom to express all Iran’s realities and events.' Hoping they could realize that promise, Iranians rose up and overthrew the shah. Ayatollah Khamenei, those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it." <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/opinion/10iht-edbahari.html}}</ref>
Upon his release, Bahari launched a campaign in support of other jailed journalists in Iran. The name of the campaign,<ref>{{cite web|author=CPJ Impact |url=http://www.cpj.org/2010/04/cpj-impact-15.php |title=CPJ Impact – Committee to Protect Journalists |publisher=Cpj.org |date=2010-04-18 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> In an ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'' op-ed to launch the campaign Bahari wrote to Iran's [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]], [[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]],
<blockquote>"You may feel safe in your modest house, protected by thousands of revolutionary guards. But beyond them the world is changing. Iran is changing. In 1978, as the shah was doing his best to stifle his people, Ayatollah Khomeini promised that 'in an Islamic Iran the media will have the freedom to express all Iran's realities and events.' Hoping they could realize that promise, Iranians rose up and overthrew the shah. Ayatollah Khamenei, those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/opinion/10iht-edbahari.html |work=The New York Times |first=Maziar |last=Bahari |title=Let My Colleagues Go |date=2010-02-10}}</ref></blockquote>

=== IranWire ===
Bahari launched IranWire in 2014, "to empower Iranian citizen journalists by creating a forum in which young Iranians can discuss national and local news, providing training modules and putting Iranian citizen journalists inside the country in touch with professional Iranian journalists." Although the website is bilingual, only a fraction of the Persian articles are in English. [[IranWire]] works with a number of prominent Iranian journalists including [[Shima Shahrabi]], [[Aida Ghajar]], [[Shaya Goldoust]], [[Ehsan Mehrabi]] and [[Masih Alinejad]]. It has a partnership with [[Daily Beast]]. IranWire's initial website was designed and developed by [[Small Media Foundation]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://smallmedia.org.uk/work/iranwire|title=IranWire|website=smallmedia.org.uk|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref> funded by [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=USAspending.gov |url=https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=4f2b09331aa1a927652bd41d83fd7e9d |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=www.usaspending.gov |language=en}}</ref>


=== Press TV vs Maziar Bahari ===
=== Press TV vs Maziar Bahari ===
After his release Bahari launched a complaint against Iranian government's English satellite channel, [[Press TV]], for filming and airing an interview with him under duress. [[Press TV]] had interviewed several prisoners in the past including [[Sakineh Ashtiani]] but had not been punished for invasion of their privacy. In May 2011, British broadcasting regulator [[Ofcom]] upheld Bahari's three complaints against [[Press TV]]. In summary [[Ofcom]] said [[Press TV]]'s presentation of Bahari was unfair because it "omitted material facts and was placed in a context in which inferences adverse to Mr Bahari could be drawn". The media regulator also said that Press TV failed to get his consent and this "contributed to the overall unfairness to Mr Bahari in the item broadcast". [[Ofcom]] added that filming and broadcasting the interview without consent "while he was in a sensitive situation and vulnerable state was an unwarranted infringement of Mr Bahari's privacy". <ref name=pressTV>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/23/iran-press-tv-maziar-bahari|title=Iran's Press TV censured for interview with arrested journalist|date=23 May 2011|publisher=Guardian|accessdate=2011-07-09}}</ref>
After his release, Bahari launched a complaint against Iranian government's English satellite channel, [[Press TV]], for filming and airing an interview with him under duress. In May 2011, [[Ofcom]] upheld Bahari's three complaints against [[Press TV]]. In the summary, [[Ofcom]] said [[Press TV]]'s presentation of Bahari was unfair because it "omitted material facts and was placed in a context in which inferences adverse to Mr Bahari could be drawn". The media regulator also said that Press TV failed to get his consent and this "contributed to the overall unfairness to Mr Bahari in the item broadcast". [[Ofcom]] added that filming and broadcasting the interview without consent "while he was in a sensitive situation and vulnerable state was an unwarranted infringement of Mr Bahari's privacy".<ref name=ptv>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/may/23/iran-press-tv-maziar-bahari|title=Iran's Press TV censured for interview with arrested journalist|date=23 May 2011|newspaper=Guardian|access-date=2011-07-09|location=London|first=Mark|last=Sweney}}</ref>


Upon the release of Ofcom's findings, [[Press TV]] launched a campaign against Bahari and Ofcom. Bahari was accused of being a "an [[MI6]] contact person" <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181242.html}}</ref> taking guidance from "[[The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion]], protocol #7" <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181711.html}}</ref> [[Press TV]] called [[Ofcom]]'s ruling "part of an anti-Iranian campaign," and that "A quick look at senior decision makers at [[OFCOM]] demonstrates that the regulator is mostly made up of former [[Channel4]] and [[BBC]] executives, some of whom are well-linked to and influenced by powerful pro-[[Israeli]] politicians." <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/187554.html}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184355.html}}</ref>
Upon the release of Ofcom's findings, [[Press TV]] launched a campaign against Bahari and Ofcom. Bahari was accused of being "an [[MI6]] contact person". Press TV's failure to pay a £100,000 fine for showing Bahari's 'confession' was connected with the revocation of Press TV's licence to broadcast in the UK, via satellite, in January 2012.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16652356 "Iran's Press TV loses UK licence"], BBC News, 20 January 2012</ref>

==Awards and honors==
{{incomplete list|date=September 2012}}
* [[Oxfam Novib/PEN Award]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icorn.org/articles.php?var=173 |title=Irakli Kakabadze among the recipients of the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award |publisher=ICORN |date=November 2009 |access-date=September 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420224555/http://www.icorn.org/articles.php?var=173 |archive-date=April 20, 2012 }}</ref> nominated for an Emmy for his film


== Filmography ==
== Filmography ==
*''Paint! No Matter What'', 1999 (about artist [[Khosrow Hassanzadeh]])
* ''Paint! No Matter What'', 1999 (about artist [[Khosrow Hassanzadeh]])
*''Of Shames and Coffins'' (about Aids in South Africa)
* ''Of Shames and Coffins'' (about Aids in South Africa)
*''Mohammad and the Matchmaker'' (about an HIV+ man's search for love in Iran)
* ''Mohammad and the Matchmaker'' (about an HIV+ man's search for love in Iran)
*''Football, Iranian Style'' (about Iranian passion for soccer)
* ''Football, Iranian Style'' (about Iranian passion for soccer)
*''And Along Came a Spider'' (about a serial killer in Iran)
* ''And Along Came a Spider'' (about [[Saeed Hanaei|a serial killer in Iran]])
*''Targets: Reporters in Iraq'' (about post traumatic stress disorder among journalists working in Iraq)
* ''Targets: Reporters in Iraq'' (about post-traumatic stress disorder among journalists working in Iraq)
*''Greetings from Sadr City'' (about life in the Baghdad suburb during the war)
* ''Greetings from Sadr City'' (about life in the Baghdad suburb during the war)
*''A Cult that would be an Army'' (about terrorist group [[People's Mujahedin of Iran|Mujaheddin Khalgh of Iran]])
* ''A Cult that would be an Army'' - ''Cult of the Chameleon'' (about the [[People's Mojahedin of Iran|Mujaheddin Khalgh of Iran]])
*''The Fall of a Shah'' (about the history of the [[Iranian Revolution]])
* ''The Fall of a Shah'' (about the history of the [[Iranian Revolution]])
*''An Iranian Odyssey'' (about the CIA-backed 1953 coup in Iran)
* ''An Iranian Odyssey'' (about the CIA-backed 1953 coup in Iran)
* ''[[Forced Confessions]]'', 2012
* ''[[Rosewater (film)|Rosewater]]'', 2014 (about Bahari's 118 days of detention and torture in Iran's Evin Prison, screenwritten and directed by [[Jon Stewart]], in which Bahari is portrayed by [[Gael García Bernal]])
* ''[[To Light a Candle (film)|To Light a Candle]]'' (about the [[persecution of Baháʼís]] in Iran and the [[Baháʼí Institute for Higher Education]])<ref name="stanford">{{cite web
| title ="To Light a Candle", A Documentary Film by Maziar Bahari
| publisher =Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies, Stanford University
| date =May 10, 2014
| url =http://iranian-studies.stanford.edu/event/to_light_a_candle_a_documentary_film_by_maziar_bahari
| access-date =June 11, 2014
| archive-date =April 29, 2014
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140429045507/http://iranian-studies.stanford.edu/event/to_light_a_candle_a_documentary_film_by_maziar_bahari
| url-status =dead
}}</ref>
* ''[[The Cost of Discrimination (film)|The Cost of Discrimination]]'', 2017
* ''[[82 Names (film)|82 Names]]'', 2012


== ''Then They Came for Me'' (Book) ==
== ''Then They Came for Me'' ==
{{Main|Then They Came for Me}}
{{Main|Then They Came for Me}}
Bahari has written a [[New York Times Best Seller]] family memoir, [[Then They Came for Me]]. The book has been called "incredible" by [[Jon Stewart]] of [[The Daily Show]] who is working with Bahari on a film based on the book. <ref name="The Daily Show">{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-6-2011/exclusive---maziar-bahari-extended-interview-pt--1}}</ref> [[Doug Saunders]] of [[The Globe and Mail]] called the book “Moving and, at times, very funny which offers a number of lessons about the way Middle Eastern politics work.” <ref name="The Globe and Mail">{{cite news|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/tossing-information-grenades-over-middle-eastern-walls/article2082512/}}</ref> [[Leslie Scrivener]] of [[The Toronto Star]] explained “Then They Came for Me is a gripping story that weaves his family’s history of incarceration by Iranian rulers with his own.” <ref name="The Toronto Star">{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1010990--black-comedy-in-an-iranian-prison/}}</ref> And [[Mother Jones]] magazine explained “Then They Came for Me is not only a fascinating, human exploration into Bahari's personal experience but it also provides insight into the shared experience of those affected by repressive governments everywhere.” <ref name="Mother Jones">{{cite news|url=http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/06/bahari-then-they-came-for-me-review}}</ref> [[Kirkus Reviews]] praised the book for “Providing an illuminating glimpse into the security apparatus of one of the world’s most repressive countries. Especially timely given recent events throughout the Middle East, this book is recommended for anyone wishing to better understand the workings of a police state.” <ref name="Kirkus Reviews">{{cite news|url=http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/maziar-bahari/then-they-came-me/}}</ref>
Bahari wrote a prison memoir and family history, ''[[Then They Came for Me]]''. The book became a [[New York Times Best Seller]] and has been called "incredible" by [[Jon Stewart]] of ''[[The Daily Show]]'' who worked with Bahari on his [[Rosewater (film)|film based on the book]].<ref name="The Daily Show"/><ref name="cnn130305">{{cite news |publisher=[[CNN.com]] |title=Stewart to take time off from 'Daily Show,' direct feature film |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/showbiz/jon-stewart-daily-show-hiatus/index.html |date=March 5, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> [[Doug Saunders]] of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' called the book "Moving and, at times, very funny", and said that it "offers a number of lessons about the way Middle Eastern politics work."<ref name="The Globe and Mail">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/tossing-information-grenades-over-middle-eastern-walls/article2082512/ | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | first=Doug | last=Saunders | title=Tossing information grenades over Middle Eastern walls - The Globe and Mail | date=2011-07-02}}</ref> [[Leslie Scrivener]] of ''[[The Toronto Star]]'' explained "''[[Then They Came for Me]]'' is a gripping story that weaves his family's history of incarceration by Iranian rulers with his own."<ref name="The Toronto Star">{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1010990--black-comedy-in-an-iranian-prison/ | location=Toronto | work=The Star | first=Leslie | last=Scrivener | title=Black comedy in an Iranian prison | date=2011-06-17}}</ref> [[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] magazine wrote that "''[[Then They Came for Me]]'' is not only a fascinating, human exploration into Bahari's personal experience but it also provides insight into the shared experience of those affected by repressive governments everywhere."<ref name="Mother Jones">{{cite magazine|author=Hamed Aleaziz |url=http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/06/bahari-then-they-came-for-me-review |title=Tales from a Torture Chamber |magazine=Mother Jones |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' praised the book for "Providing an illuminating glimpse into the security apparatus of one of the world's most repressive countries. Especially timely given recent events throughout the Middle East, this book is recommended for anyone wishing to better understand the workings of a police state."<ref name="Kirkus Reviews">{{cite web|last=Nafisi |first=Azar |url=http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/maziar-bahari/then-they-came-me/ |title=THEN THEY CAME FOR ME by Maziar Bahari, Aimee MolloyKirkus Book Reviews |publisher=Kirkusreviews.com |date=2011-06-07 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of foreign nationals detained in Iran]]


==References==
==References==
{{Cleanup-link rot|date=May 2011}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.newsweek.com/authors/maziar-bahari.html Author profile] at ''[[Newsweek]]''
**[http://www.newsweek.com/2009/11/21/118-days-12-hours-54-minutes.html 118 Days, 12 Hours, 54 Minutes], Bahari's diary from June 21, 2009 through November 2009
* [http://www.newsweek.com/authors/maziar-bahari.html Author profile] at ''[[Newsweek]]''
*{{Charlie Rose view|6779}}
* {{Charlie Rose view|6779}}
⚫
* {{IMDb name|0046867}}
*[http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Maziar%20Bahari Appearances] on ''[[The Daily Show]]''
⚫
* {{NYTtopic|people/b/maziar_bahari}}
*[http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5737140n Maziar Bahari: Witness], ''[[60 Minutes]]'' on ''[[CBS News]]'', November 22, 2009
{{The Daily Show}}
*[http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/journalist-filmmaker-maziar-bahari/ Maziar Bahari] on ''[[Tavis Smiley]]'', June 15, 2011
{{List of foreign nationals detained in Iran}}
⚫
*{{IMDb|0046867}}
{{Authority control}}
*{{Worldcat id|lccn-no2009-18510}}
⚫
*{{NYTtopic|people/b/maziar_bahari}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
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| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahari, Maziar}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahari, Maziar}}
[[Category:Iranian documentary filmmakers]]
[[Category:Activists against antisemitism]]
[[Category:Iranian film directors]]
[[Category:The Daily Show]]
[[Category:Iranian film producers]]
[[Category:Iranian dissidents]]
[[Category:Iranian journalists]]
[[Category:Iranian documentary film directors]]
[[Category:Iranian expatriates in Canada]]
[[Category:Iranian documentary film producers]]
[[Category:People from Tehran]]
[[Category:21st-century Iranian journalists]]
[[Category:Writers from Tehran]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Concordia University alumni]]

[[Category:Iranian emigrants to Canada]]
[[fa:مازیار بهاری]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada]]
[[pt:Maziar Bahari]]
[[Category:Iranian human rights activists]]
[[vi:Maziar Bahari]]
[[Category:Canadian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Newsweek people]]
[[Category:Iranian memoirists]]
[[Category:Canadian documentary film producers]]
[[Category:Oxfam Novib/PEN Award winners]]
[[Category:Canadian documentary film directors]]
[[Category:Canadian male journalists]]
[[Category:Inmates of Evin Prison]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian memoirists]]
[[Category:20th-century Iranian journalists]]
[[Category:Canadian people imprisoned in Iran]]
[[Category:Journalists imprisoned in Iran]]

Latest revision as of 16:43, 24 December 2024

Maziar Bahari
Born (1967-05-25) May 25, 1967 (age 57)
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
CitizenshipIranian
Canadian
Alma materConcordia University
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, journalist
SpousePaola Gourley
Children1
Websitewww.maziarbahari.com

Maziar Bahari (Persian: مازیار بهاری; born May 25, 1967) is an Iranian-Canadian[1] journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist.[2] He was a reporter for Newsweek from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the Iranian government from June 21, 2009 to October 17, 2009,[3][4] and has written a family memoir, Then They Came for Me, a New York Times best seller. His memoir is the basis for Jon Stewart's 2014 film Rosewater. Bahari later founded the IranWire citizen journalism news site, the freedom of expression campaign Journalism Is Not A Crime and the education and public art organization Paint the Change.[5]

Family and education

[edit]

Bahari was born in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran, but moved to Pakistan in 1987 before he immigrated to Canada in 1988 to study communications.[6] His family has been involved in dissident politics in Iran: his father was imprisoned by the Shah's regime in the 1950s, and his sister Maryam under the revolutionary government of Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1980s. He is married to Paola Gourley, an Italian-English lawyer working in London,[7] who gave birth to their first child in October 2009 shortly after his release from prison.[8]

Career

[edit]

He graduated with a degree in communications from Concordia University in Montreal in 1993, before continuing some additional studies at the nearby McGill University.[9] Soon after, Bahari made his first film, The Voyage of the Saint Louis, about the attempt by 937 German Jewish refugees to escape Nazi Germany on that ship in 1939, who were turned away by Cuba, the United States, and Canada, and ultimately forced to return to the Third Reich. In producing the film, Bahari became the first Muslim to make a film about the Holocaust. When asked what motivated him to make the film, he cited the courses he took at Concordia, where he:

studied the modern history of the Jews and I was fascinated by the history of the Jews in North America. I took a course on Freud and religion and the professor talked a lot about early 20th century anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Canada. I had no idea that even up until the 1950s Jews were discriminated against in North America, so I wanted to explore that further. As an immigrant, I was interested in the history of Jewish immigration from Europe to America. So I looked for a story to combine all these elements and came across the story of the St. Louis.[10]

Later, while he was imprisoned in Iran the film "haunted" him, with his interrogators accusing him of being on a mission to work for Zionists.[11]

In 1997 Bahari began reporting in Iran and making independent documentaries, and in 1998 he became Newsweek magazine's correspondent in Iran.[12]

He has produced a number of other documentaries and news reports for Channel 4, BBC and other broadcasters around the world on subjects as varied as private lives of Ayatollahs, African architecture, Iranians' passion for football and contemporary history of Iran. In 2003, Harvard Film Archive praised Bahari's work:

"In a country known for neorealist fiction films that focus on small events in the lives of individuals, the work of Iranian director Maziar Bahari is somewhat anomalous. Employing a traditional documentary style to explore more far-reaching cultural events, Bahari's films provide a glimpse inside contemporary Iranian culture as they reveal the human element behind the headlines and capture cultural truths through the lens of individual experience. Representing a new generation of young Iranian filmmakers, Bahari's trenchant looks at social issues in his country have brought both controversy and international acclaim."[13]

Bahari's films have won several awards and nominations including an Emmy in 2005.[14] A retrospective of Bahari's films was organized in November 2007 by the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[15] In September 2009, Bahari was nominated by Desmond Tutu for the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, widely known as Spain's Nobel Prize.[16] In 2020, US Holocaust Memorial Museum conferred its highest honor Elie Wiesel Award on Bahari for his exceptional courage in bringing the truth of the Holocaust to Iran and throughout the Middle East. The Museum praised Bahari for being a powerful voice against antisemitism.[17]

Arrest, imprisonment, release

[edit]

On the morning of June 21, 2009, during the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, Bahari was arrested at his family's home in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison.[18] In July, while incarcerated, he appeared[19] in a televised confession (broadcast internationally by PressTV)[20] telling his interviewer that Western journalists worked as spies;[21] that he had covered "illegal demonstrations" and "illegal gatherings", and was helping promote a "colour revolution".[22][23]

His confession was dismissed by his family, his colleagues, and Reporters Without Borders, saying that it must have come under duress. Outside Iran, an international campaign to free him was headed by his wife and included petitions launched by Committee to Protect Journalists, Index on Censorship, International PEN, and groups of documentary filmmakers.[7] Newsweek ran full-page advertisements in several major newspapers calling for his release.[12] US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke publicly of his case.[3][4][24]

On October 17, after 118 days[25] in jail and charged with 11 counts of espionage, Bahari was released on $300,000 bail. Bahari says he was asked to promise to spy on dozens of "anti-revolutionary elements" inside and outside Iran for the Revolutionary Guard and report to them weekly (a promise that he had no intention of keeping).[26] He was allowed to leave the country and return to London days before the birth of his daughter.[27]

Post-imprisonment

[edit]
Bahari at Oslo Freedom Forum in 2018

After his release, Bahari recounted his time in prison in interviews and writings. He appeared on a segment of the television news program 60 Minutes[28] and was the subject of an article in Newsweek.[29] Bahari stated he confessed on television after physical and psychological torture. He was held in solitary confinement, interrogated daily (either blindfolded or made to face away from his interrogator),[25] threatened with execution, and repeatedly slapped, kicked, punched, and hit with a belt by his interrogator.[30] Bahari's interrogator told him they knew he (Bahari) "was working for four different intelligence agencies: the CIA, Mossad, MI6 and Newsweek." Bahari believes it was desperation to find "any evidence to prove I was a spy" that led his captors to believe his providing an American TV personality with a list of Iranians they could talk to in Iran, was evidence of his being a spy. (Bahari provided such a list shortly before he was interviewed by Jason Jones[31] a "correspondent" of The Daily Show, who dressed up as a spy as a joke for the story.)[21] He believes he was targeted to intimidate other international Iranian-born journalists, who can operate free of regime minders, blend in with crowds, and understand the cultural and linguistic nuances of the moves the regime makes (unlike foreign journalists).[31]

In interviews Bahari stated that his interrogator told him not to talk about what happened to him in prison, as the Revolutionary Guards have "people all around the world and they can always bring me back to Iran in a bag". Bahari has stated that he will not be able to safely return to Iran until the Islamic Republic falls.[28] In Iran he was tried in absentia by a revolutionary court, and sentenced to thirteen and a half years' imprisonment plus 74 lashes.[32]

Campaign for other jailed journalists in Iran

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Upon his release, Bahari launched a campaign in support of other jailed journalists in Iran. The name of the campaign,[33] In an International Herald Tribune op-ed to launch the campaign Bahari wrote to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,

"You may feel safe in your modest house, protected by thousands of revolutionary guards. But beyond them the world is changing. Iran is changing. In 1978, as the shah was doing his best to stifle his people, Ayatollah Khomeini promised that 'in an Islamic Iran the media will have the freedom to express all Iran's realities and events.' Hoping they could realize that promise, Iranians rose up and overthrew the shah. Ayatollah Khamenei, those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it."[34]

IranWire

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Bahari launched IranWire in 2014, "to empower Iranian citizen journalists by creating a forum in which young Iranians can discuss national and local news, providing training modules and putting Iranian citizen journalists inside the country in touch with professional Iranian journalists." Although the website is bilingual, only a fraction of the Persian articles are in English. IranWire works with a number of prominent Iranian journalists including Shima Shahrabi, Aida Ghajar, Shaya Goldoust, Ehsan Mehrabi and Masih Alinejad. It has a partnership with Daily Beast. IranWire's initial website was designed and developed by Small Media Foundation,[35] funded by USAID.[36]

Press TV vs Maziar Bahari

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After his release, Bahari launched a complaint against Iranian government's English satellite channel, Press TV, for filming and airing an interview with him under duress. In May 2011, Ofcom upheld Bahari's three complaints against Press TV. In the summary, Ofcom said Press TV's presentation of Bahari was unfair because it "omitted material facts and was placed in a context in which inferences adverse to Mr Bahari could be drawn". The media regulator also said that Press TV failed to get his consent and this "contributed to the overall unfairness to Mr Bahari in the item broadcast". Ofcom added that filming and broadcasting the interview without consent "while he was in a sensitive situation and vulnerable state was an unwarranted infringement of Mr Bahari's privacy".[20]

Upon the release of Ofcom's findings, Press TV launched a campaign against Bahari and Ofcom. Bahari was accused of being "an MI6 contact person". Press TV's failure to pay a £100,000 fine for showing Bahari's 'confession' was connected with the revocation of Press TV's licence to broadcast in the UK, via satellite, in January 2012.[37]

Awards and honors

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Filmography

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Then They Came for Me

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Main article: Then They Came for Me

Bahari wrote a prison memoir and family history, Then They Came for Me. The book became a New York Times Best Seller and has been called "incredible" by Jon Stewart of The Daily Show who worked with Bahari on his film based on the book.[2][40] Doug Saunders of The Globe and Mail called the book "Moving and, at times, very funny", and said that it "offers a number of lessons about the way Middle Eastern politics work."[41] Leslie Scrivener of The Toronto Star explained "Then They Came for Me is a gripping story that weaves his family's history of incarceration by Iranian rulers with his own."[42] Mother Jones magazine wrote that "Then They Came for Me is not only a fascinating, human exploration into Bahari's personal experience but it also provides insight into the shared experience of those affected by repressive governments everywhere."[43] Kirkus Reviews praised the book for "Providing an illuminating glimpse into the security apparatus of one of the world's most repressive countries. Especially timely given recent events throughout the Middle East, this book is recommended for anyone wishing to better understand the workings of a police state."[44]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Maziar Bahari Canadian scapegoat in Iran". The Globe and Mail. July 8, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Exclusive - Maziar Bahari Extended Interview Pt. 1 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 06/06/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central". Thedailyshow.com. June 6, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Newsweek: Journalist detained in Iran now in UK". Associated Press. October 20, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2009.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b "Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahari Released in Iran". Newsweek. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  5. ^ "#PaintTheChange". #PaintTheChange. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  6. ^ Staff, Hollywood.com (February 2, 2015). "Maziar Bahari | Biography and Filmography | 1965". Hollywood.com. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Dickey, Christopher (August 3, 2009). "100 Iranians on trial, one baby's future in the balance - The Daily Beast". Newsweek. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  8. ^ Bahari, Maziar. "'Then They Came For' Journalist Maziar Bahari". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  9. ^ "Maziar Bahari". www.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  10. ^ "118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison - Page 2 of 3 - Moment Magazine". Moment Magazine. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  11. ^ Nadine Epstein (July–August 2011). "118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison". Moment Magazine. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Stelter, Brian (2009-08-03). "Newsweek Steps Up Effort to Free Reporter in Iran". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  13. ^ "Maziar Bahari - Harvard Film Archive". Hcl.harvard.edu. 2003-05-13. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  14. ^ "Previous Finalists". The Rory Peck Trust. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  15. ^ "Global Writers and Filmmakers Call for Bahari's Release". Newsweek. 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  16. ^ "Free Maziar Bahari". New York Times. 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  17. ^ "2020 Elie Wiesel Award — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". www.ushmm.org. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  18. ^ "NEWSWEEK Reporter Arrested Without Charge in Iran - The Daily Beast". Newsweek.com. 2009-06-20. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  19. ^ Gravshon, Michael; Magratten, Drew (2009-11-22). "Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention". 60 Minutes. CBS News. pp. 2–3. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  20. ^ a b Sweney, Mark (23 May 2011). "Iran's Press TV censured for interview with arrested journalist". Guardian. London. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  21. ^ a b Bahari, Maziar. "Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran". Newsweek. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  22. ^ Erdbrink, Thomas; William Branigin (2009-07-01). "Iran's Leadership Cautions Against Protest After Certification of Vote Results". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  23. ^ Canwest News Service (2009-10-20). "Journalist Maziar Bahari released from Iranian jail". canada.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  24. ^ Christopher Dickey (2009-10-21). "Maziar Bahari's Ordeal in Tehran Prison - The Daily Beast". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  25. ^ a b Dickey, Christopher (2009-10-22). "'Everyone Has Forgotten You'". Newsweek. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  26. ^ Bahari, Maziar Then They Came for Me, A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival, Random House, 2011, p.275-6
  27. ^ "Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  28. ^ a b "Preview: Witness – 60 Minutes". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  29. ^ Maziar Bahari (2009-11-21). "Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran". Newsweek. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  30. ^ "Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  31. ^ a b "A Year Later, Journalist Reflects On Iranian Unrest". NPR. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  32. ^ Bahari, Maziar Then They Came for Me, A Family's Story of Love, Captivity and Survival, Random House, 2011, p.310
  33. ^ CPJ Impact (2010-04-18). "CPJ Impact – Committee to Protect Journalists". Cpj.org. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  34. ^ Bahari, Maziar (2010-02-10). "Let My Colleagues Go". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "IranWire". smallmedia.org.uk. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  36. ^ "USAspending.gov". www.usaspending.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  37. ^ "Iran's Press TV loses UK licence", BBC News, 20 January 2012
  38. ^ "Irakli Kakabadze among the recipients of the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award". ICORN. November 2009. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  39. ^ ""To Light a Candle", A Documentary Film by Maziar Bahari". Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies, Stanford University. May 10, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  40. ^ "Stewart to take time off from 'Daily Show,' direct feature film". CNN.com. March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  41. ^ Saunders, Doug (2011-07-02). "Tossing information grenades over Middle Eastern walls - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  42. ^ Scrivener, Leslie (2011-06-17). "Black comedy in an Iranian prison". The Star. Toronto.
  43. ^ Hamed Aleaziz. "Tales from a Torture Chamber". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  44. ^ Nafisi, Azar (2011-06-07). "THEN THEY CAME FOR ME by Maziar Bahari, Aimee MolloyKirkus Book Reviews". Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
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