A leading Iranian actress has been arrested by the Islamic Republic’s regime, charged with “spreading falsehoods” about the months of protests following the September 16 death of a young woman in police custody, the country’s state-run media IRNA said.
According to IRNA, Taraneh Alidoosti, the 38-year-old star of Oscar-winning movie The Salesman, was arrested a week after she wrote a message on Instagram in support of Mohsen Shekari, the 23-year-old protester who earlier this month became the first person executed over alleged crimes carried out during the protests.
Alidoosti is one of a number of Iranian celebrities who are among the thousands detained by the hardline Tehran government since the protests began. At least 450 people have been reported killed in the harsh government response to the protests.