Hambood Collective challenges Iran's account of two designers' detention
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Friends and associates of detained Iranian graphic designers Aria Kasaei and Elaheh Naghilou issued a statement demanding that Iran disclose the charges against them and grant access to independent legal counsel. The statement follows their July 19 detention in Tehran during a meeting with French Embassy cultural staff. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said two French diplomats were physically intimidated in the incident, while Iranian officials have not explained the arrests.
Key Facts
- Aria Kasaei, 46, founder of the Kargah design studio, and Elaheh "Elly" Naghilou, 36, were detained on July 19 after a meeting with people linked to the French Embassy in Tehran.
- Friends of the detained designers called on French authorities to clarify all aspects of the "illegal arrest" and guarantee the pair's rights, safety, and freedom.
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said two French Embassy officials were detained and interrogated for hours, and one was subjected to physical abuse, before both were repatriated to France.
- Iran's Intelligence Ministry on August 15 accused the French government of orchestrating a "foreign infiltration and interference" project, without explicitly mentioning the designers' detention.
- Judicial and security officials have provided no formal explanation for the arrests, the charges, or where Kasaei and Naghilou are being held.
The July 19 Detention
On July 19, Iranian security forces detained Aria Kasaei, 46, and Elaheh Naghilou, 36, after a meeting at Kasaei's home in Tehran. The cultural section of the French Embassy had requested the meeting, and the French cultural attache and another staff member attended to discuss the Villa Zadig initiative. Villa Zadig is described on its official Instagram profile as an artistic cultural space intended to foster dialogue between traditional Iranian crafts and French art, language, and education. Nearly a month later, judicial and security officials have provided no formal explanation for the arrests, the charges, or the location where the two are held.
French Diplomat Incident
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the day after the arrests that two French Embassy officials were subjected to an "extremely serious act of intimidation" by Iranian security services. According to Barrot, the diplomats were detained and interrogated for hours, and one was subjected to physical abuse before both were repatriated to France. Barrot's statement made no mention of the Iranian artists, who Hambood Collective said were arrested at the same time. Friends of the detained designers said two French representatives witnessed part of the event and called on French authorities to clarify all aspects of the arrest.
August 15 Ministry Statement
Iran's Intelligence Ministry on August 15 published a statement alleging that the French government was orchestrating a "foreign infiltration and interference" project in Iran. The ministry warned that French diplomats involved in "illegal interventionist behavior" would face direct confrontation but omitted any explicit mention of the two artists' detention. The detained designers' friends accused the ministry of publishing a "false narrative regarding the arrest and the nature of their activity, aimed at incriminating them without giving them an opportunity to respond." In a statement to Radio Farda, friends vowed "not to allow the silence imposed on them to be the only narrative of this story."
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Hambood Collective challenges Iran's account of two designers' detention
