Iran to sue Hollywood for fear-mongering with 'Argo'
(Read article summary)This is not the first time Iranian officials have complained about the portrayal of Iran in Hollywood cinema.
Washington
Iran announced today that it will sue Hollywood for creating films the Islamic Republic alleges intentionally “propagate fear of Iran throughout the world,” according to state media reports.
Citing director Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning film “Argo” as “the most recent example of various fear-mongering tactics” used by Hollywood, the semi-official Fars News Agency said French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, widely known for defending Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (“Carlos the Jackal”), is in Tehran for talks with Iranian government officials to determine where and how a lawsuit should be filed.
“These people [in Hollywood] are using films to propagate global panic about Iran,” Fars cites Ms. Coutant-Peyre as saying. “The act [of the lawsuit] itself is valuable,” added Ms. Coutant-Peyre, “because it can stir interest and discussion among the peoples of the world, until they can discern between what is the truth and what are lies about Iran, and think about them. The dialogue created by Hollywood [about Iran] can’t be one-sided."
It is unclear who will specifically be named in Iran's lawsuit. Ms. Coutant-Peyre said she has prepared a case and will provide more details at a press conference Wednesday, Fars reports.
“Argo” was privately screened in downtown Tehran on Monday as part of a state-organized conference on “Hollywood Deceit," according to state media reports.
