Taraneh Alidoosti’s apparent act of defiance comes as weeks of protests have rocked the country since the death of Mahsa Amini. Kurdia Irani, 22, died in mid-September after being arrested by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women. Alidoosti, one of the best-known actresses remaining in Iran who has publicly supported the protest movement, posted a picture of herself with her head uncovered on her official Instagram account. He held a sign in the Kurdish language of the protest movement that read “Jin. Jiyan. Azadi.” (Woman. Life. Freedom.) Alidoosti is a regular star in award-winning director Asghar Farhadi’s films, including The Salesman, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017. Days ago on Instagram, the actress vowed to stay in her home country at “any cost”, saying she planned to stop working and instead support the families of those killed or arrested in the crackdown on the protests. “I am the one who lives here and I have no intention of leaving,” said the 38-year-old, denying that he has a foreign passport or residency. Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is uploaded, as it may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click Allow and Continue. “I will stay, I will stop working. I will stand by the families of the prisoners and those killed. I will be their advocate,” he said. “I will fight for my home. I will pay any price to defend my rights and most importantly, I believe in what we are building together today,” he added. Alidoosti has been a prominent presence on the Iranian film scene since she was a teenager and also starred in acclaimed director Saeed Roustayi’s recent film Leila’s Brothers which was screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. She is known as an outspoken defender of women’s rights and wider human rights in Iran. Iranian film personalities were under pressure even before the start of the protest movement sparked by Amini’s death. Award-winning filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi remain in custody following their arrest earlier this year. When large protests rocked the country in November 2019, Alidoosti declared that Iranians were “millions of captives” and not citizens.
