Iran arrests Taraneh Alidoosti for supporting anti-hijab protests

TEHRAN: Iran has arrested a prominent actress Taraneh Alidoosti days after she criticized the execution of a man who was involved in the nationwide protests.

Alidoosti had condemned the hanging of Mohsen Shekari, who was killed in December in the first known execution linked to the protests, according to CNN.

Taraneh Alidoosti was arrested as there was a "lack of evidence for her claims," CNN reported citing Fars news agency. In November, Alidoosti shared a picture of herself on Instagram without the Islamic hijab and holding a sign reading "Women, Life, Freedom" to offer support for the protest movement.

After Shekari's execution, Taraneh Alidoosti in another post said, "Your silence means supporting tyranny and tyrants," adding that "every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity," according to CNN.

Since then, her account on Instagram has been deleted. She has featured in the 2016 Oscar-winning movie, "The Salesman" and has starred in various popular Iranian TV shows. In its report on Alidoosti, Fars news agency said, "Some celebrities make claims without evidence and publish provocations and have been thus arrested," according to CNN.

The local rights group, Committee to Counter Violence Against Women in Iranian Cinema, in a post on Twitter said that it wasn't clear which government department had taken Alidoosti into custody.

Earlier in November, Taraneh Alidoosti denied reports that claimed that she had left Iran. Alidoosti announced that she planned to live in Iran and affirmed her support for the families of prisoners.

According to CNN, Taraneh Alidoosti wrote, "I will stand by the families of prisoners and the killed and will demand justice for them. I will fight for my home and I will pay any cost to stand for my rights." As per the news report, several Iranians have been sentenced to death by execution during the nationwide protests which erupted after the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini.

Amini was arrested by Iran's 'morality police' for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights, 458 people have been killed in the unrest since September.