Oscar-winning film actress arrested in Iran for supporting anti-hijab protests

One of the country's most famous actresses has been arrested for spreading lies about the protests against the hijab in Irani. Iranian media confirmed this news on Saturday. Tasnim news agency reported that 38-year-old Taraneh Alidoosti was detained for "publishing false and distorted material and inciting chaos". The actress against whom this action was taken is known for her role in the Oscar-winning 2016 film "The Salesman".

Alidoosti's most recent social media post was on 8 December, the same day 23-year-old Mohsen Shekhri was hanged by authorities over the protests. "Your silence means tyranny and support of the tyrant," Alidoosti wrote in a photo shared on Insta. "Every international organization that is watching this bloodshed and not taking action" Alidoosti captioned her post , he is a blot on humanity."

Most recently, she starred in the film "Leila's Brothers", which was screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Protests have rocked the Islamic country since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin after being arrested for allegedly violating the country's dress code. Alidoosti posted a picture on Instagram after Amini's death, writing: "Damn this prison".

On 9 November, she posted a photo of herself without a headscarf, holding a piece of paper with the words "Women, Life, Freedom", the main slogan of the protest. Shortly after Shekhri's execution, Iran publicly hanged protester Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, on 12 December. Nine other people arrested in connection with the unrest have been sentenced to death. Iran's judiciary said on Tuesday that thousands of people have been detained since protests broke out and 400 have been given prison sentences of up to 10 years for their involvement in the unrest.