Thread by @farnazfassihi

Read my investigation into #Iran's Me Too:

Sexual abuse allegations surfaced against more than 100 men on social media, the most prominent an internationally famous artist Aydin Aghdashloo.

#آیدین_آغداشلو
#من_هم

nytimes.com/2020/10/22/wor…

2/ Iran’s MeToo movement is one of the most important and difficult stories I’ve reported in years.

3/ Thank you to the dozens of Iranian women who agreed to talk to me. Speaking about sexual abuse requires courage, especially in Iran’s conservative society where discussing sex is culturally and socially prohibited. When things go wrong, women are often blamed.

4/ It began in August with a tweet from a journalist accusing Mr. Aghdashloo of sexual assault. I started digging and found that an Iranian journalist, Afshin Parvaresh, reported in 2018 that 21 women had anonymously made similar allegations against him.

5/ I talked to people in Iran’s art circles and former students. I contacted women tweeting about Mr. Aghdashloo. I separately interviewed husbands, a mother, a daughter, friends and colleagues of the accusers. Their support marked a shift in attitudes about women speaking up.

6/100s of hours of interviews over 2 months,13 women accused Mr.Aghdashloo of sexual abuse, including one who was underage.7 artists said they witnessed or had a friend who was victim of his abuse.45 people said it was an open secret.2 of his friends said they couldn't defend him

7/ Mr. Aghdashloo declined requests for an interview. In a statement he denied all the allegations and said they “are full of significant inaccuracies, mischaracterizations and fabrications.” If his behavior distressed anyone, he said, “I deeply apologize.”

8/ Former students said Mr. Aghdashloo asked women to sit on his lap, they say he pressed against them, touched their bodies, made lewd comments and shared explicit details of a fascination with adolescent girls.

9/The women who spoke to me said they didn’t come forward sooner because they were afraid of Mr. Aghdashloo, believing his connection to Iran's ruling elite would give him impunity. In a statement, he rejected that idea.

10/ It’s hard to predict how far the Me Too movement will shake Iran and what repercussions Mr. Aghdashloo may face. But the ground has shifted in the Islamic Republic. Iranian women are no longer silent.

nytimes.com/2020/10/22/wor…