Following the arrest of internationally renowned actress Taraneh Alidoosti in Iran, celebrities and human rights activists today called on Iran to release the 38-year-old man.
She is one of the most talented and well-known actresses in Iran, Cameron Bailey, head of the Toronto International Film Festival, said on Twitter. “I hope she will be free soon to continue representing the strength of Iranian cinema.”
Alidoosti spread “false and distorted” information and “incited chaos”, the pro-government Tasnim news agency reported yesterday. She was arrested by court order for failing to provide “documentation for some of her allegations” about the protests, the court’s official website, Misan Online, reported yesterday.
Reports of new arrests
In addition to Alidoosti, other “celebrities” were also questioned or arrested for “baseless allegations about recent events and the publication of provocative material in support of street unrest”, the portal said.
Alidoosti has repeatedly claimed responsibility on online networks for the protest movement that was triggered by the death of young Kurd Mahsa Amini in September in the custody of the vice squad. Last month, she posted on her Instagram page a photo of herself without the mandatory scarf in Iran, for which she was praised at home and abroad, but put her career in jeopardy. She also recently denounced the execution of young protester Mohsen Shekari.
“Any international organization watching this bloodbath and not responding is a disgrace to humanity,” the actress wrote on Instagram of the execution. Today, her profile with more than eight million followers on the platform was no longer accessible.