Taraneh Alidoosti, a prominent Iranian actress, was arrested by local authorities on Saturday after she posted messages on social media expressing solidarity with the anti-government protests that have rocked Iran for nearly three months.
Taraneh Alidoosti (center), with Payman Maadi and Saeed Poursamimi, arrive at the premiere of the film ‘Leila’s Brothers’ at the 75th international film festival in Cannes on May 25, 2022. Credit:access point
Alidoosti, 38, was arrested in connection with what state media outlets described as “unsubstantiated comments about recent events” and “the posting of provocative material.”
It is one of the highest-profile arrests Iranian authorities have made in their effort to suppress a women-led uprising that began in September. The protests were sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while she was in the custody of the moral police on allegations that she had violated mandatory hijab rules. Iran has faced international condemnation for its violent response to the demonstrations.
In recent weeks, Alidoosti, credited with Academy Award-winning The sellerdrew attention after posting a photo of herself without a hijab while holding a sign indicating her support for protesters who have been calling for an end to authoritarian clerical rule in Iran.
This month, after the Iranian government announced that it had hanged Mohsen Shekari, a 23-year-old prisoner who had been arrested in the protests that swept the country, Alidoosti urged people to speak up.
“Your silence means supporting oppression and oppressors,” he wrote.
Taraneh Alidoosti poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Leila’s Brothers’ in Cannes in May.Credit:access point
As of Sunday, Alidoosti’s Instagram account appeared to have been removed from the platform and his Twitter account appeared to be suspended. Her recent posts were no longer viewable.
In a brief Telegram post announcing Alidoosti’s arrest, the state news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency, said Alidoosti “did not provide documentation” for some of what it described as his “claims.” She had been detained “by order of the judicial authority,” according to the Telegram publication.