A prominent Iranian actress has taken to Instagram to show her support for the ongoing protests against the country’s administration by posting a photo of herself without a hijab.
Taraneh Alidoosti, most known for her part in the film The Salesman, which was nominated for an Academy Award, also carried a placard that read “Woman, Life, Freedom” in the Kurdish language. The slogan has evolved into a catchphrase used by protestors.
The protests that began after the death of Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody are moving into their seventh week. The young woman, aged 22, passed away shortly after being taken into custody by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly breaking Iran’s stringent rules that require women to cover their hair with a hijab, also known as an Islamic headscarf.
One of the most successful actresses in Iran, Ms. Alidoosti has amassed more than eight million followers on Instagram. She played a leading role in the film The Salesman, which was honoured with an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2016.
She has previously stated that she will not leave Iran no matter the cost, and she has put her career on hold in order to assist the relatives of those who were slain during the crackdown on demonstrators by the security forces.
Human rights groups on the ground estimate that at least 328 people have been killed and that another 14,800 have been imprisoned. The post made by the star is the most recent example of support shown by prominent Iranians in the fields of arts and sports.
A month ago, Iranian football player Sardar Azmoun voiced support for the demonstrators in the face of rising levels of brutality from the government. In an Instagram story, the forward for Bayern Leverkusen blasted security forces, writing, “Shame on you for casually killing the people and viva women of Iran. Long live Iranian ladies!”