Culture and - as its essential part – art does not belong to one person, group, party, religion, social class, nation or era. It is the common property of all mankind and the heritage of generations.
The personal artistic expression is a manifestation of the human creative power and its dignity. It is part of human communication and mental and intellectual progress. It transcends obstacles, prejudices and intolerance. It is the highest perception of beauty and knowledge. Without the freedom of culture and arts there is no truth, no unity, no peace.
It must be made sacred and inviolate to the human mind and hand.
To restrict or oppress or prohibit or destroy the freedom of individual artistic expression is a crime against the dignity of the particular individual and the humanity in general.
To imprison or kill an artist for using his human ability of individual artistic expression - and by doing this, fulfilling his dignity as a complete human being – is a multiplication of this crime against the particular individual person and his fragility and against the fragility of artistic expression and humanity in general.
In contrast to the fight against the freedom of artistic expression dominating many of our societies, the fragility of the human being and his creative forces should be protected. The paths of culture and art are open and not simply definable. They are no straight paths to be supervised, controlled, planned. They are moving manifestations of life built up in unspoilt acts of the generous radiance of the vital power of human beauty and creativity. These paths to culture and art are endangered areas and so are the individuals walking them. The careful safeguard they need is an existential and noble act.
Each artist’s individual voice is an important, indispensable tone and it cannot be silenced without damaging the whole art and without hurting everybody else’s freedom and dignity.
Art does not need inspectors! It needs freedom – the freedom of the artist and his life.
One artist disappearing behind the walls of a prison for practising his art, makes the heart of human existence vanish into in the dark caves of mental and spiritual death.
Time is short. Not a day must be lost. The fragility of man and his art must be made inviolate and the paths of artistic expression must be kept open and liberated of superficial limitation, control, oppression and danger to life.

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Fred Kelemen, January 2011
(for Cine Foundation International, “Public statement on Iranian director’s imprisonment”)