IranWire and Journalism Is Not A Crime are thrilled to announce the launch of Abbas and the Revolution, a website celebrating the work of legendary Magnum photographer <a href='http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL53B_Y' target='_blank'>Abbas</a>.

The site, <a href='http://www.abbas.site/' target='_blank'>www.abbas.site</a>, produced by Maziar Bahari, Iranian journalist, filmmaker and director of IranWire and Journalism is Not a Crime, will go live on February 4, 2016, ahead of the 37th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution.

Through a unique collection of photographs (spanning from 1971 to 2005), contact sheets and interviews with the photographer, Abbas and the Revolution offers an unprecedented portfolio and appreciation of one of the most important photographers of our time. Abbas, an Iranian transplanted to Paris, has dedicated himself to documenting societies in conflict, and is particularly known for his reportage of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. A member of the prestigious agency Magnum Photos, Abbas’s work has appeared in thousands of publications around the world.
In more than 50 video conversations with Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, Abbas recalls the most significant moments of 1978-1980 and his later return to the country in 1997. He gives exceptional insight into his photography style and techniques, and shares the stories behind his iconic photos — a collection of historical documents and a recommended case study for aspiring and professional photojournalists. It not only shows the world what happened politically in Iran before, during and after the revolution, but also covers broader themes of Iranian society, culture, religion, art and youth.

“The simple reason for producing the website is that I’ve always loved Abbas’s photographs,” says Maziar Bahari. “He is the Eduardo Galeano of photojournalism. His photos transcend the boundaries of journalism. They are works of art; works of art that give you a great deal of information about their subjects.”

Abbas and the Revolution is a part of the Journalism Is Not A Crime campaign, which aims to support reporters and photojournalists in Iran – where journalists are routinely imprisoned, harassed and tortured for simply doing their job. The project’s founder, Maziar Bahari, whose story is told in John Stewart’s film Rosewater, was himself jailed in Iran for documenting the protests following the disputed 2009 presidential election.

“Abbas’s photos give you a better understanding of modern Iranian history, and the complex characters of the past fifty years, including the Shah, Khomeini, their officials and disciples. You learn more about the typically Iranian forms of violence, benevolence and obsequiousness than you could by reading hundreds of articles and books,” Bahari says.

<a href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03hffy2' target='_blank'>Click here</a> to listen to an interview with Abbas on his work in Iran broadcast by the BBC World Service in February 2016