IRAN: Taraneh Alidoosti, an Oscar-winning Iranian actress, has been arrested by security personnel in Tehran days after she condemned the government’s use of the death penalty against demonstrators. Alidoosti was arrested on charges of “spreading falsehoods” regarding the raging protest movement that has grasped the nation, state media stated.
In her Instagram post last week, she criticised the execution of a man for taking part in the protests. The actress is best known for her role in the Oscar-winning movie ‘The Salesman.’
Her most recent post was made on December 8, the same day that Mohsen Shekari, 23, became the first protester to be put to death by the government.
The 38-year-old woman criticised some international organisations in her post for their silence on Mohsen Shekari’s execution. She uploaded a picture to Instagram with the caption, “Your silence means the support of oppression and the oppressor.”
Officials hung Shekari after they accused him of being a “rioter” who stopped a major route in Tehran in September and injured a paramilitary member with a machete.
“His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organisation that is watching this bloodshed and not taking action is a disgrace to humanity,” her caption reads.
Police detained the actress for failing to offer “any documentation in line with her claims,” stated state news agency IRNA in a post on Telegram.
The actor has played a significant role in Iranian cinema since her teenage years. She recently appeared in the movie “Leila’s Brothers,” which was shown at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
However, since the protest movement began, she has become a vociferous opponent of the Iranian government’s efforts to put a stop to the widespread unrest that was prompted by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September.
On the day of Amini’s passing, Alidoosti posted a picture to Instagram with the message “Damnation to this captivity.”
In the caption of her post, she wrote, “Don’t forget what Iran’s women go through” and asked people to “say her name, spread the word.”
On November 9, she shared a photo of herself clutching a piece of paper with the words “woman, life, freedom,” which is the protests’ catchphrase, and she was not wearing a headscarf.
Since the Iranian regime’s 1979 revolution-era rise to power, the protest movement has become one of its most serious challenges. Nine other people were detained and sentenced to death in connection with the protest.
Since the protests began, thousands of individuals have been jailed, and 400 have been given prison terms of up to 10 years for their role in the unrest, Iran’s judiciary stated on Tuesday.
Also Read: 400 Iranians Receive Prison Sentences of up to 10 Years
