Iranian film star arrested over protests released on bail
Tehran, Jan 4 (EFE).- Iranian film star Taraneh Alidoosti, who was arrested last month for voicing her support for anti-regime protests that have gripped Iran for months, was released on bail Wednesday after spending 19 days in prison, her lawyer Zahra Minooee confirmed.
Alidoosti was accused of publishing false and distorted content, inciting riots and backing anti-Iranian movements, according to the judicial news agency Mizan.
When she was detained, several Iranian filmmakers and artists visited Tehran’s Evin prison where she was held to check up on her.
The Cannes Film Festival also condemned Alidoosti’s arrest and called for her immediate release.
Widespread protests broke out in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody on September 16 following her arrest by the so-called morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code.
Some 2,000 people have already been charged with various crimes over their participation in the protests. Two were executed in December.
According to several NGOs, 450 people have died amid a brutal police crackdown against protesters.
In November, Alidoosti posted a video in which she appeared without wearing the mandatory headscarf with a sign that read “woman, life and freedom.”
She also condemned the execution of 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari, who was hanged last month for injuring a member of Iran’s Basij militia with a knife.
The actress has won several awards during her career.
She played the lead female in the film “The Salesman,” directed by Asghar Farhadi, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017. EFE
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