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 her’s is arguably the most high profile arrests that have been made in relation to the ongoing protests in Iran.

Alidoosti 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 ongoing 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