Authorities in Iran arrest Oscar-winning actress for protest solidarity

Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti poses during a portrait session on the sidelines of the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 26, 2022. (Photo: Loïc Venance/AFP)

Saturday, official media said that Iranian authorities arrested one of the country's most famous actresses because of spreading false information about countrywide rallies gripping the country.

IRNA reported that Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning film "The Salesman," was held a week after expressing support on Instagram for the first man hanged for offenses allegedly committed during the nationwide rallies.

IRNA also reported that the judiciary had summoned several other Iranian celebrities for publishing controversial material. It did not specify how many or provide additional information.

According to a post released on the official Telegram channel of the state media, Alidoosti was arrested for failing to present "any documents supporting her claims.′′

The 38-year-old actress wrote in her article, "His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international entity that observes this bloodshed without intervening is a disgrace to humanity."

Shekari was hanged on December 9 after an Iranian court convicted him of blocking a Tehran street and attacking a member of the country's security services with a machete.

Majidreza Rahnavard, a second prisoner, murdered by Iran in connection with the protests, was hung from a construction crane as a horrific warning to others. Iranian officials claimed Rahnavard stabbed two members of its paramilitary force.

Both men were executed less than a month after being indicted, highlighting the rapidity with which Iran now runs death sentences for claimed offenses related to the demonstrations. According to activists, at least a dozen individuals have been condemned to death in closed-door proceedings.

Since the demonstrations began in September, Alidoosti has published at least three postings on her Instagram account showing support for demonstrators. Her performance, which had approximately 8 million followers, has been suspended.

Protests have shaken Iran since the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, who died after imprisonment by the morality police. The rallies have subsequently evolved into one of the gravest challenges to Iran's theocracy established by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Alidoosti has criticized the Iranian government and police in the past.

She was granted a five-month suspended prison sentence in June 2020 for criticizing the police on Twitter in 2018 for assaulting a woman who had removed her hijab.

Alidoosti has also appeared in the films "The Beautiful City" and "About Elly."

Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two further well-known Iranian actresses, were jailed for expressing support to demonstrators on social media and have since been released.

Human Rights Activists in Iran, an organization following the protests since its inception, reports that at least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations, and authorities have imprisoned over 18,200 people.

Publish : 2022-12-18 19:19:00

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