The video has already been viewed more than 400,000 times on Instagram in less than 24 hours, and also shared by the thousands on social networks. Hengameh Ghaziani, Iranian actress, appears without a headscarf, her hair down, in support of the protest movement triggered after the death in custody of a young woman. As a result, this Sunday, she was arrested by the security services, announced an official media.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been rocked by a wave of protests since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who was arrested by morality police for violating a strict dress code requiring women to wear the veil in particular. in public.
Hengameh Ghaziani was arrested for inciting and supporting the “riots” and communicating with opposition media, the official Irna news agency reported. The actress had previously indicated that she had been summoned by the courts and then posted a video on her Instagram account in which she removed the compulsory headscarf.
“Maybe this will be my last message,” she wrote late Saturday afternoon. “From now on, whatever happens to me, know that as always I am with the Iranian people until my last breath,” she added.
Seven other personalities from cinema, politics and sport arrested
The video, which appears to have been filmed in a shopping street, shows Hengameh Ghaziani bareheaded facing the camera without speaking, then turning around and doing a ponytail like other women do before going to protest. In recent weeks, the 52-year-old actress has strongly criticized the crackdown on the protest movement, accusing authorities of killing children and young people during protests.
On Sunday, the Iranian justice announced that it had summoned Hengameh Ghaziani as well as seven other personalities from cinema, politics and sport, for having published “provocative” content in support of the protest movement, announced the agency of the authority. judicial. Among these personalities are the coach of the football club Persepolis FC, Yahya Golmohammadi, and the reformist ex-MPs Mahmoud Sadeghi and Parvaneh Salahshouri.
Yahya Golmohammadi strongly criticized the players of the national team last week for not “bringing the voice of the oppressed people to the ears of the authorities”, after the meeting of the Iranian selection with President Ebrahim Raisi. The two former deputies openly supported the protest movement, in particular on Twitter, and denounced the use of force against the demonstrators.