CNN —
One of Iran’s best-known actresses has been arrested days after she criticized the execution of a man involved in the nationwide protests that have swept the country since September.
Taraneh Alidoosti, who starred in the 2016 Oscar-winning film The Salesman, had condemned the hanging of Mohsen Shekari, who was killed earlier this month in the first known execution linked to the protests. Shekari was reportedly convicted of “waging war against God” after he died on March 23.
State-run Fars News Agency media agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Alidoosti was arrested because of “a lack of evidence to support her claims”.
Known as a feminist activist, Alidoosti last month posted a picture of herself on Instagram without the Islamic hijab and holding a sign that reads “Women, Life, Freedom” to show her support for the protest movement.
After Shekari’s execution, she said in another post, “Your silence means supporting tyranny and tyrants,” adding that “any international organization that watches this bloodshed and fails to act is a disgrace to humanity.”
Her Instagram account has since been deleted.
Days after Shekari was hanged, a second execution took place on December 12. Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged in the northeastern city of Mashhad after being accused of killing two paramilitary officers.
“Some celebrities make claims without evidence and publish provocations and have been arrested as a result,” Far news agency said in its report on Alidoosti.
Local rights group Committee to Counter Violence Against Women in Iranian Cinema said on Twitter it was not clear which government department took Alidoosti into custody.
Alidoosti, who has appeared in various popular Iranian TV shows, is known for her activism in the MeToo movement in Iran’s cinema industry.
Last month she denied reports that she had left Iran, writing that she plans to remain in the country and stop working.
“I will stand with the families of those captured and those killed and demand justice for them. I will fight for my home and pay all costs to stand up for my rights,” she wrote.
Several Iranians have been sentenced to death by execution during nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by state morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.
Her death touched a nerve in the Islamic Republic, and prominent public figures supported the movement. The protests have since merged around a range of grievances with the authoritarian regime.
In November, the Iranian authorities asked for the death penalty for at least 21 people in connection with the protests, according to Amnesty International.
At least 458 people have been killed in the unrest since September, Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights said on Wednesday.
CNN cannot independently verify the number of executions in Iran or the latest arrest figures or death toll linked to the protests, as exact figures cannot be confirmed for anyone outside the Iranian government.