Iranian authorities arrested Taraneh Alidoosti, one of the country’s most famous actresses, on Saturday. According to state media, she is suspected of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests against the Iranian regime.
Last week, Alidoosti, known for the Oscar-winning film, posted The seller, an Instagram post expressing support for the first man executed for participating in protests in Iran. Mohsen Shekari, as the man is called, was sentenced to death on December 9.
“Any international organization that sees this bloodshed and takes no action is a disgrace to humanity,” Alidoosti wrote on Instagram in response to Shekari’s execution. According to state media, the actress has now been arrested because she could not provide information to back up her claims.
Also, Alidoosti recently posted a photo on Instagram where she was not wearing a hijab. She was photographed holding a piece of paper that read “Woman, Life, Freedom,” a slogan used in anti-regime protests. Her Instagram profile has now disappeared, but her message was, according to the British newspaper The Guardian more than a million likes.
Iran has been unstable for months. It all started when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by the religious police on 16 September. She would not have worn her hijab properly. Amini died shortly after her arrest.
At least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has followed the protests since its inception. More than 18,200 people have been arrested. Several protesters were also sentenced to death.
