Statement from the IETM Board of Directors - Solidarity with the people of Iran
Posted on 26.01.2026
IETM condemns the mass killing of civilians by the Iranian authorities, the severe injury of thousands of people, and the widespread detention of protesters since demonstrations began on 28 December 2025 across Iran. These acts, widely documented by international human rights organisations, represent grave violations of fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and personal safety.
IETM expresses its profound respect for the Iranian people who, despite sustained repression and the use of lethal force, continue to resist and to demand freedom, dignity and self-determination. We stand in solidarity with Iranians living in exile, who are enduring deep distress as internet shutdowns imposed on 8 January and severe communication restrictions prevent contact with friends and family, leaving them in constant fear for their loved ones’ lives.
IETM calls on governments and international institutions worldwide to actively support the will of the Iranian people and to take clear and concrete action to help bring an end to this violence. The international community must uphold its responsibility to protect human rights and to support the right of the people of Iran to define their political, social and cultural future on their own terms.
As an international network for contemporary performing arts, IETM wishes to underline the particular vulnerability of artists and cultural workers in Iran. Performing arts workers have long played a vital role in defending freedom of expression, critical thought, and social imagination, often under conditions of censorship, surveillance, and intimidation. Many have been subjected to repression, imprisonment, professional exclusion, or have been forced to leave the country for their own safety. In exile, Iranian artists continue their deeply human artistic work in solidarity with all Iranians, maintaining vital cultural and political connections despite displacement and risk. The severity of the situation in Iran calls IETM and its members to act, in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation, committing to seek concrete ways forward, each according to their own strengths and expertise.
This call for solidarity comes at a time when it is more necessary than ever, within an ongoing global polycrisis marked by multiple wars, violent conflicts, authoritarian shifts, and increasing threats to human rights across the world. These interconnected crises demand sustained attention and long-term commitment. IETM therefore urges its members – and the wider performing arts community – to stand alongside colleagues facing violence, repression or displacement, and to continue fostering spaces of artistic freedom, empathy, and creative resilience worldwide.
The IETM Board of Directors
