Iranian authorities have detained one of the country’s most famous actresses on charges of spreading lies about the nationwide protests rocking the country, state media reported on Saturday.
State news agency IRNA reported that Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning film “The Salesman,” was detained a week after she posted messages on Instagram expressing solidarity with the first man to be executed for crimes allegedly committed during the Recent nationwide protests.
In her post, the 38-year-old actress said: “Her name of hers was Mohsen Shekari. All international organizations that look at this bloodshed and do not take action, are a disgrace to humanity.”
According to the official state media channel on Telegram, Alidoosti was detained because she did not provide “any document consistent with her claims.” Shekari was executed on December 9 after being accused by an Iranian court of blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the country’s security forces with a machete.
Last week, Iran executed a second prisoner in connection with the protests, Majidreza Rahnavard. Rahnavard’s corpse was left hanging from a construction crane as a dire warning to others.
Iranian authorities alleged that Rahnavard stabbed two members of his paramilitary force. Both men were executed less than a month after being charged, highlighting how quickly Iran is now carrying out death sentences for alleged protest-related crimes.
Activists say at least a dozen people have been sentenced to death in closed-door hearings. Alidoosti has posted at least three messages on her Instagram account expressing her solidarity with the protesters since the protests broke out in September. Her account was suspended on Sunday.