Prominent Iranian actress poses without headscarf in support of anti-government demonstrations

Taraneh Alidoosti also held a sign reading “Woman, Life, Freedom” in Kurdish.

One of Iran’s most prominent actors, Taraneh Alidoosti, posted an image of herself on social media without a headscarf to show solidarity with anti-government demonstrations.

The actor’s act of defiance comes as weeks of protests have rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman died in mid-September after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly defying the country’s strict dress rules for women.

Alidoosti posted an image of herself with her headscarf uncovered on her official Instagram account whilst she held a Kurdish-language slogan of the protest movement reading “Jin. Jiyan. Azadi.” (Woman. Life. Freedom.)

Alidoosti is one of Iran’s most successful actresses and has more than eight million followers on Instagram. She starred in The Salesman, which won an Academy Award in 2016 for the Best International Feature Film. She has previously vowed to remain inside Iran at any price and has paused her career to support the families of those killed in the security forces clampdown on demonstrators.

 The star’s post is the latest act of support from leading figures in the arts and sports in Iran. Last month, Iranian footballer Sardar Azmoun supported demonstrators amid increasing violence from the government. The Bayern Leverkusen forward condemned security forces in an Instagram story, saying: “Shame on you for easily killing the people and viva women of Iran. Long live Iranian women!”

 

 

Writer
Chris Saunders
Banner Image Credit
Instagram / Taraneh Alidoosti