We were appalled to learn of the arrest of Iranian citizen Mahsa Amini by the morality police and her subsequent death in mid-September. We are likewise outraged by the violence with which the regime is responding to the protests. As an international festival committed to human dignity and the freedom of expression, we condemn the Iranian government’s disregard for these values.

“We regret that we did not have the time to adjust our programme in response to the protests in Iran,” said festival director Christoph Terhechte at the opening of this year’s festival. "Nonetheless, we wish to express our solidarity with the courageous women in Iran and all those who finally have the prospect of shaking off decades of oppression and asserting basic human rights. DOK Leipzig, too, stands for these values."