Celebrities and human rights organisations today urged Iran to release actor Taraneh Alidoosti, who is one of the most well-known people to have been detained as a result of the country’s three-month protest crackdown.
According to state media, Alidoosti, 38, was detained yesterday as a result of a series of social media posts supporting the protest movement, in which she removed her headscarf and denounced the murder of demonstrators.
Mahsa Amini, 22, who the morality police claimed had disobeyed the Islamic republic’s rigorous clothing code for women, died while in jail, which led to the raid. Iran accuses the US and other “enemies” of attempting to destabilise the nation by igniting the protests.
Alidoosti has gained significant recognition on a global scale as a result of her roles in Asghar Farhadi’s critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning 2016 picture “The Salesman.”
She went to the Cannes Film Festival this year to promote her critically lauded performance in “Leila’s Brothers.”
Golshifteh Farahani, a friend of the actor, posted on Instagram, “The brave actress of Iran got arrested.”
Farahani started her career in Iran but is currently living in exile due to a dispute with the government.
Cameron Bailey, the director of the Toronto International Film Festival, tweeted that “Taraneh Alidoosti is one of Iran’s most talented and acclaimed actors … I hope she’s free to keep representing the strength of Iranian cinema soon.”
Two well-known actresses, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi were detained in Iran last month after they publicly showed their support for the protest movement by taking off their headscarves. Both are currently out on bail.
Actors Soheila Golestani and Hamid Pourazari were also detained by authorities in November after appearing in a video of a group of theatre and film professionals standing silently without headscarves. They were also made available.
The New York-based Centre for Human Rights in Iran emphasised “women are being arrested and jailed in Iran for refusing to wear forced hijabs, including prominent actress Taraneh Alidoosti. The power of women’s voices terrify the Islamic Republic’s rulers.”
The supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s flags have been vandalised during the demonstrations, women have been seen walking down the street without a veil, and at times, protesters have attempted to overthrow the security forces.
The most recent social media update from Alidoosti was made on December 8, the same day that Mohsen Shekari, 23, became the first protester to be put to death by the government.
