We call on libraries, bookstores, universities, schools, cultural and civil society institutions worldwide to participate in a worldwide reading. On January 8 and 9, 2026, Iranian security forces carried out a nationwide massacre of citizens who had taken to the streets to demand democracy and social justice. According to recent research by Time magazine, more than 30,000 people were killed. These figures are considered realistic not only by human rights organizations, but also by the German federal government and other Western governments. And it is to be feared that the actual number of victims is even higher, as there is virtually no news coming out of remote areas. This means that the suppression of the uprising is likely to be the world’s bloodiest massacre of demonstrators in such a short period of time.

Repression has also intensified through the judicial system. Iran remains among the countries with the highest number of executions worldwide; more than 1,000 executions were documented in 2025, and reports from early 2026 indicate that executions continue at a high rate, including cases linked to the recent protests. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, human rights organizations estimate that tens of thousands of people have been executed, including mass executions of political prisoners, most notably in 1988. Systematic repression since 1979 has included widespread imprisonment of political opponents, censorship, persecution of writers, journalists and artists, severe restrictions on women’s rights, and repeated violent crackdowns on protests.

Among those imprisoned is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, journalist and human rights defender, who has been repeatedly arrested and sentenced over many years. In February 2026, she was sentenced to an additionalseven and a half years in prison on charges of conspiracy. According to her lawyer, six years of this sentence relate to the accusation of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes.” The sentence further extends her imprisonment despite serious health concerns.

This worldwide reading aims to draw international public attention to the situation of political prisoners in Iran, to the systematic use of the death penalty, and to the victims of the violence of January 2026.

You’re free to choose texts for that. Our suggestions: works by writers murdered in the so-called “chain murders” of 1998, including Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh, as well as political writings or letters by Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar. As a central literary text: Hushang Golshiri, The King of the Black-Clad (published under the pseudonym Manouchehr Irani). Additional options include poems by Forugh Farrokhzad, Ahmad Shamlou, or Simin Behbahani, as well as letters or statements by Narges Mohammadi.

Optional film screening (with discussion): Mohammad Rasoulof, There Is No Evil (on the death penalty and individual responsibility) or The Seed of the Sacred Fig (on violence, fear, and loyalty under authoritarian rule).

Format: a public reading on a common date or within a defined period. The event may combine literary readings, a brief presentation of the current situation, and a discussion. After the event, participants are invited to share the place, date, names of contributors, and, if possible, a photo or short report to document worldwide participation.

If you would like to organise a reading at your location, please write to us at: info@bebelplatz.org

This years opening speech was given by Alhierd Bacharevič.

Opening speech ilgm 2025 EN
Opening speech ilgm 2025 BY

The festival, which concludes today, received unanimously positive feedback from international guests, local residents, and cultural professionals from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Around 1,500 visitors attended the events. Following this great success, the organizer Bebelplatz e.V. has announced the continuation of the ilgm, subject to secured funding. From September 24 – 27, 2026, the traditional seaside resort will once again transform into a stage for international authors.

This year’s concept will continue to shape the framework of the festival. Prose, poetry, graphic novels, and children’s and young adult literature will remain essential parts of the program. Guests from Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and Scandinavia are expected to play a special role.

Ulrich Schreiber, organizer (Bebelplatz e.V.), emphasizes:
“Especially in times of social and international upheaval, we need places where we can engage in dialogue. Literature can give us orientation and foster mutual understanding. The festival demonstrates that words have the power to create community. We thank all participants from Germany and abroad, the supporters of this year’s festival, and the Tourismus- und Kur GmbH for their support.”

Dörthe Hausmann, spa director of Graal-Müritz, says:
“Literature builds bridges – it connects people across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Here in Graal-Müritz, between sea and forest, a space emerges where we can reflect together on values, on the power of literature, and on the future. The continuation of the festival is a strong signal of the cultural vitality and literary inspiration of our town.”

Outlook:
With the new date in autumn 2026, the ilgm will become a permanent part of the cultural calendar in the Baltic Sea resort of Graal-Müritz and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Organizers, the municipality, and supporters agree: the festival should not only continue, but become a tradition.

Graal-Müritz, September 2, 2025

Ulrich Schreiber