free at last
Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti released on bail after arrest in connection with protests
Taraneh Alidoosti, the acclaimed Iranian actress who was arrested after criticizing the government for its response to protests in the country, has been released on bail.
Alidoosti's release was confirmed Wednesday by the Iranian news agency ISNA more than two weeks after she was detained in December, as reported by The Associated Press.
Alidoosti was reportedly arrested in Tehran by security forces after she criticized the Iranian government for executing Mohsen Shekari. He was convicted for "waging war against God" during a protest over the death of Masha Amini in the custody of Iran's "morality police."
"His name was Mohsen Shekari," Alidoosti reportedly posted on Instagram, The Guardian reports. "Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity. Your silence means supporting tyranny and tyrants."
The actress also shared a photo of herself on Instagram without a headscarf and with a sign that said "Woman, Life, Freedom." The Iranian government claimed she was arrested for spreading false information about the execution of Shekari.
Alidoosti is best known for starring in Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017. According to Variety, a petition calling for "justice for" Alidoosti was signed by stars including Mark Ruffalo, Penelope Cruz, Jason Momoa, and Kate Winslet, and Farhadi spoke out against the actress being "in prison for her rightful support of her fellow countrymen and her opposition to the unjust sentences being issued."