Primerament es va publicar una carta oberta signada per "acadèmics, artistes, periodistes i activistes iranians", en què es lamentaven que el director no respectés el moviment palestí de Boicot, Desposseïment i Sancions (BDS) contra Israel:
First, an open letter signed by a group of "Iranian scholars, artists, journalists and activists" was published lamenting the director's neglect of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel: