According to an article (http://www NULL.juliemaroh NULL.com/) by French author Julie Maroh, Iranian poet and translator Sepideh Jodeyri has become the target of Iran’s religiously conservative media outlets.

After her public support for the pro-democracy ‘Green movement’ Jodeyri’s works were banned in Iran, and she was forced to publish her Farsi translation of Maroh’s novel Le blue est une couleur chaude (in English called Blue is the Warmest Colour) abroad. The novel is a coming-of-age story about a young woman in a lesbian relationship. The translation is published by Naakojaa (http://www NULL.naakojaa NULL.com/book/14215), an Iranian publishing house in Paris.

Following the relaxation of cultural restrictions under Iran’s current president, Jodeyri was allowed to publish a short volume of poems, And Etc., with an independent publisher in Tehran. When the publisher announced a book launch in a state-owned museum last January, conservative newspaper Raja News responded with an article entitled ‘Using government resources to promote a pro-LGBT author’, mentioning the French novel and quoting Jodeyri, who stated in earlier interviews that she wanted to raise awareness about LGBTQ in Iranian society.

After the news article was re-posted in other media and on websites, the Intelligence Services cancelled the book launch. The director of the museum lost his job. The publisher in Tehran is at risk of losing his licence.

For more information, please click here (http://www NULL.juliemaroh NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sepideh-Jodeyri NULL.pdf).