London, Oct 21 (ANI): Hollywood has expressed concern over Iran's crackdown on directors and actors, and has asked the regime to release filmmakers who were detained last month.
In September 2011, the Iranian government had arrested six independent filmmakers whose films have appeared on BBC Persian TV.
They were arrested on charges of providing the BBC with material deemed damaging to Iran.
According to the BBC, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has now condemned the regime's action, and is calling for the release of jailed film-makers.
The academy said in a statement that all six had been denied access to their lawyers and families "who were forced to remain silent".
"These film-makers and others are artists, not political combatants. We join our colleagues around the world in calling unequivocally for these film-makers' safety, release and return to film-making," it said.
The academy said these filmmakers deserved same "full freedom of expression" as any other film-maker, "no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs".
The Directors Guild of America, one of the co-signatories of the joint statement, said creative freedom was "an essential building block of liberty, culture, civil and human rights".
"We hope the Iranian government will release these film-makers and recognise that their creative works can only strengthen and enrich Iranian society," the statement said.
The Producers Guild of America, the Writers Guilds of America and the International Documentary Association are also among the bodies calling for an end to the film-makers' detention, the report said. (ANI)
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