Iranian authorities Saturday arrested Taraneh Alidoosti, one of the country’s most famous actors on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country.
Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning movie, The Salesman, was jailed a week after she made a post on Instagram expressing solidarity with the first man recently executed for crimes allegedly committed during the nationwide protests, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said.
“Several other Iranian celebrities had been summoned by the judiciary body over publishing provocative content,” the news agency said.
In her post, the 38-year-old actor said, ”His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organisation who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity.”
Shekari was executed December 9 after being charged by an Iranian court with blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the country’s security forces with a machete.
Alidoosti has made at least three posts on her social media account expressing solidarity with demonstrators since the protests broke out in September. Her Instagram account, which had some eight million followers, has been suspended.
Iran has been rocked by protests since the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being jailed by the morality police. At least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations amid a harsh security crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, group that has been monitoring the protests since they began. More than 18,200 people have been jailed by authorities.