Taraneh Alidoosti arrested: How Iran is trying to make an example of top actor of Oscar-winning movie

On 17 December, Iranian authorities arrested actor Taraneh Alidoosti. The move even by Iran’s standards, shocked many across the world. Alidoosti is one of the country’s most popular cinema figures and hers is arguably among the most high-profile arrests that have been made in relation to the ongoing protests in Iran. The actor was arrested almost 10 days after she took to Instagram to condemn the execution of 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari. On 8 December, he became the first person to be executed by the regime on charges related to the ongoing protests. According to rights groups, nearly 470 people have been killed by the security forces during the ongoing demonstrations. The 38-year-old actor shared a post saying “Your silence means supporting oppression and oppressors.” This was not Alidoosti’s first brush with the authorities in the context of the protests. On 9 November, the actor posted a picture of herself without the mandatory hijab in a move described by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad as a “cultural earthquake.”

A cultural earthquake. The most well known Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti remove her hijab publicly. Another blow lands against gender apartheid regime.
Young women in Iran started this revolution and now popular actress followed their path.
Women Life Freedom.#MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/yt9yBQhvpe

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) November 9, 2022

Alidoosti also held a sign with the protest slogan “Women, life, freedom.” She was not immediately arrested after this picture was posted on Instagram, unlike her contemporary Hengameh Ghaziani who was arrested hours after she removed her hijab in public. Meanwhile, Alidoosti’s Instagram account with more than 8 million followers remains unavailable. Her Twitter account has also been suspended.

Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti's account is no more available. She was arrested today. Her last post condemned the execution of Mohsen Shekari on protest-related charges. #TaranehAlidoosti #IranRevolution #IranProtests2022 #WomenLifeFreedom pic.twitter.com/XBSOb0PRM7

— Annu Kaushik (@AnnuKaushik253) December 17, 2022

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What perhaps stopped authorities from immediately arresting Alidoosti was her stature as not just one of Iran’s most established stars but also as a globally renowned personality. Alidoosti’s long and acclaimed body of work includes the 2016 Oscar-winning movie ‘The Salesman’. Her films I’m Taraneh, 15 (2002) and About Elly (2009) were Iran’s official entries to the Oscars. ‘The brave actress of Iran’ After announcing her support for the protests, Alidoosti, who resides in Iran, said that will be leaving the film industry. Unsurprisingly, Alidoosti’s arrest has sparked global outrage with several of her co-actors and the Cannes film festival calling for her immediate release.

The Iranian actress #TaranehAlidoosti was arrested Saturday 17 December as a result of her support for the movement for freedom in her country. The @Festival_Cannes strongly condemns this arrest and demands her immediate release. #FreeTaranehAlidoosti pic.twitter.com/39YHB6W1yH

— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) December 19, 2022

Alidoosti’s About Elly co-star Golshifteh Farhani shared a picture of the two on Instagram. She captioned the photo which shows Alidoosti with her head uncovered, “the brave actress of Iran got arrested.”

Iranian American actress Nazanin Boniadi posted on Instagram that Alidoosti has been kept in Tehran’s Evin prison which is infamous for torturing inmates. On the big screen, Alidoosti is known for playing unconventional roles. In her debut movie I’m Taraneh, 15, she played the role of a young single mother. In the 2022 film Leila’s Brothers, she was seen as a middle-aged woman who’s trying to set up a family business in economic sanctions-hit Iran. In real life too, Alidoosti took brave roles. A vocal feminist, she supported the #MeToo movement in the Iranian film industry where sexual harassment remains a taboo. But for Iran, the top actor is now only one of the odd 18,450 people who have been arrested in connection with the demonstrations sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the morality police on 16 September 2022. The message is clear. You can be anyone but you will not be spared if you speak against the Islamic regime. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.