Oscar-nominated co-writer of ‘It Was Just an Accident’ released from an Iranian prison

Mehdi Mahmoudian, the Oscar-nominated co-writer of “It Was Just an Accident,” has been released from an Iranian prison 17 days after his arrest, according to local media reports.

Mahmoudian was arrested in Tehran shortly after signing a statement condemning the Islamic Republic’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the regime’s violent crackdown on demonstrators. On Tuesday (February 17, 2026), he was released from Nowshahr prison along with two other signatories to the statement, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni.

Further details on any charges against Mahmoudian were not immediately available. All three were released on bail.

Mahmoudian was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards along with Nader Saiver, Shadmehr Rastin and director Zafar Panahi. The revenge drama film, inspired by Panahi’s time in prison, was also nominated for Best International Feature as a submission from France.

Also Read: Zafar Panahi Returns After Two Decades, Receives 10-Minute Standing Ovation For ‘It Was Just An Accident’

“Mehdi Mahmoudian, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni exercised their right to peacefully express their views, but the regime responded by ‘insulting the Supreme Leader’ and ‘propaganda against the Islamic Republic’,” Panahi said in a statement on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). “For years, such charges have been used as tools to criminalize ideas, silence criticism and instill fear in society. Turning a civil and peaceful act into a case of national security is a clear sign of intolerance for the independent voices of citizens.”

Mahmoudian, a writer and political activist, has previously served multiple prison terms, including a five-year term that ended in 2014 on charges of “rebellion against the regime”. Panahi, who himself was imprisoned and under house arrest under the regime of the Islamic Republic, first met him in prison.

Thousands of people have died in protests across the country in Iran over the past month. International pressure has mounted on the regime’s crackdown on demonstrators, including a mass protest in Munich over the weekend. On Friday (February 13, 2026), US President Donald Trump said regime change in Iran was “the best thing that could happen”.