On the morning of 21 June 2009, filmmaker and journalist Maziar Bahari was seized from his Tehran apartment. Only five days earlier, the Iranian-Canadian had been published in Newsweek, dissecting the Green Revolution which saw thousands take to the streets in protest over disputed election results. In the preceding months, he had also filmed mini-documentaries about life in Iran which were also broadcast outside the country. Since his arrest, the only outside communication has been brief phone calls to his mother and the posting of an 11-page confession, in which Maziar said he helped promote the revolution in Iran.

Earlier on 1 August 2009, Maziar was one of 100 people who were put in the dock by Iranian authorities on charges of attempting to overthrow the government. Human Rights Watch called the legal proceedings a show trial, since none of the defendants was formally charged with any specific violations of Iranian law, and no notice was given to the defendants families or lawyers. It is clear that Irans rulers are using this farce of a trial not just to punish those in custody, but also to intimidate anyone who speaks out against injustice, said the human rights group.

Maziar is just one of dozens of people seized amid the political crackdown following the disputed presidential elections. Many believe he was targeted because of his internationally acclaimed career. Maziar has used various forms and narrative styles, ranging from films to books, and from plays to essays. All promote the values of human rights, freedom of expression and tolerance.

His films include And Along Came a Spider, Mohammad and the Matchmaker, The Voyage of the St Louis, Targets: Reporters in Iraq and Greetings from Sadr City. He is the only filmmaker who has worked consistently in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Maziar writes for Newsweek from Tehran and makes news documentaries for the UKs Channel Four and the BBC. His plays include A Fairly Justified Revenge and Abu Ghraib. He also co-edited a book called Transit Tehran, which celebrates the countrys long tradition of artistic and cultural resistance that has influenced young Iranians.

Maziars partner, lawyer Paola Gourley, fears he will still be in jail when their first child is born in November. Prior to his arrest, Paola begged Maziar to return to the safety of the UK where they live, but Maziar was adamant that he remain in Iran. I just hope that the people holding Maziar realise just how unfair it is, and that they release him soon. I am petrified that they will use him as scapegoat and keep him in jail, and that he wont be with me when the baby is born. It makes me desperately sad.

Together with Maziars mother, Paola has been leading a petition calling for Maziars immediate and unconditional release. Signatories include prominent writers, filmmakers and journalists such as Wim Wenders, Orhan Pamuk and Christiane Amanpour. The Harvard Film Archive said Maziars film and video work revealed the human element behind the headlines and capture cultural truths through the lens of individual experience. Newsweek described Maziar as a veteran journalist whose long career both in print and in documentary filmmaking, has been accurate, even-handed and widely respected.

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On 17 October 2009, Maziar was released on bail. Iranian authorities did not specify the reasons behind the release, but Maziar has experienced serious health complications. Humanitarian considerations were presumed to have played a role in the decision. His current legal position is still undetermined.