The Iranian government is facing international rejection this Sunday and a series of requests from celebrities and human rights groups for the release of actress and activist Taraneh Alidoosti, arrested in connection with the protest movement that has shaken the country for three years. months.
Iranian cinema figure, Taraneh Alidoosti, 38, was arrested on Saturday for posts supporting the protests, denouncing in particular the execution of protesters or in which we see her removing her veil.
The protest in Iran was sparked by the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died after being detained in Tehran by morality police, who accused her of violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. for the women.
Since then, hundreds of people have been killed, thousands have been arrested and two 23 men have been hanged in connection with the riots.
Several Iranian personalities have also been detained, including actors, but Taraneh Alidoosti enjoys international fame for having starred in award-winning films by director Asghar Farhadi, including The Client, Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017.
An actress since her teens, she also starred in Saeed Roustayi's film Leïla et ses frères, presented this year at the Cannes Film Festival.
"Iran's brave actress has been arrested," her colleague Golshifteh Farahani, who began her career in Iran before fleeing, wrote on Instagram.
"This photo was taken in July 2008, just before I left Iran for good," he added, below a photo of the two actresses, accompanied by the hashtag "Free Taraneh Alidoosti."
"Taraneh Alidoosti is one of Iran's most talented and recognized actresses," wrote Cameron Bailey, director of the Toronto Film Festival, Canada. "I hope she will be released to him soon so that she can continue to represent the force of Iranian cinema."
Iranian justice said on Saturday that "celebrities" had been arrested "following baseless comments about recent events and the publication of provocative material supporting street riots."
"Taraneh Alidoosti, who has not provided documents to support some of her allegations," is among those arrested, the law enforcement agency Mizan Online said.
Last month, two other actresses who expressed solidarity with the protest movement and removed their headscarves in public were arrested, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi. They have since been released on bail.
"Women are being arrested and imprisoned in Iran for refusing to wear the mandatory hijab, including famous actresses like Taraneh Alidoosti. The power of women's voices terrifies the leaders of the Islamic Republic," the Center for Human Rights said in Iran (CHRI). ), based in New York.
The actress had denounced in particular the hanging of Mohsen Shekari on December 8.
"Any international organization that watches this bloodbath without reacting is a shame for humanity," he wrote on his Instagram account, followed by more than eight million people and no longer accessible on Sunday.
In November he promised to stay in his country, "pay the price" that it would cost him to defend his rights and stop working to support the families of those killed or arrested during the protests.
Several Iranian film personalities were retaliated against or detained by the authorities even before the current wave of protests, such as directors Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi, who remain in detention.
