Repressive Iranian regime detains actress

Paris/Tehran. Celebrities and human rights groups called yesterday, December 18, for Iran to release the actress and activist Taraneh Alidoosti, one of the most recognized in the country, arrested for supporting the protests that have been agitating the Islamic Republic for three months.

Alidoosti, 38, was arrested on Saturday for expressing her support for the demonstrations on social networks, removing her veil and for denouncing the execution of protesters.

Alidoosti was detained “by order of the judicial authority” after “failing to provide documentation for some of her claims” about the protests, reported Mizan Online, the information agency for the judiciary.

Iran has been rocked by massive protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, on September 16, after she was arrested in Tehran by the morality police, who accused her of violating the strict dress code of the Islamic Republic.

Iran accuses the United States and other “enemies” of being behind the protests, which it has suppressed. Since then, hundreds of people have died, thousands have been arrested and two men have been executed.

Among the people arrested are several Iranian personalities, including several actors, such as Taraneh Alidoosti.

The actress has a great international projection for her work with the famous director Asghar Farhadi. The production “The Client”, in which she acted, was awarded an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017.

“Death to the dictator”

Despite the harsh crackdown, dozens of people took to the streets in southeastern Iran on Friday, according to images shared by human rights groups.

“Death to the dictator,” protesters shouted in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, in reference to the supreme guide of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a video released by the NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Oslo, and verified by the AFP news agency.

On Saturday, a detainee was killed and 17 wounded in riots at an Iranian prison near Tehran, a human rights group announced.

The event, which occurred in the Karaj prison, about thirty kilometers from the Iranian capital.