TIFF joins celebrities and filmmakers calling for release of Iranian movie star Taraneh Alidoosti

On Monday, the Toronto International Film Festival issued a “call to action” after the arrest of Iranian actor Taraneh Alidoosti, who denounced the Iranian government for imposing the death penalty on a man involved in nationwide protests against the ruling regime.

“Taraneh Alidoosti is one of international cinema’s most remarkable, courageous actors,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey wrote in a statement. “We are extremely concerned by her arrest, and hope that she is soon free to continue her work and share her voice.”

Alidoosti is one of the most famous actors in Iran, and is known internationally for her role in the 2016 film “The Salesman,” which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. She most recently starred in the film “Subtraction,” which premiered at TIFF in September.

On Saturday, state media reported that the 38-year-old self-proclaimed feminist was arrested on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country. The arrest came one week after Alidoosti posted on Instagram about Mohsen Shekari, who was executed over his involvement with the nationwide protests.

The Mizan news agency, run by Iran’s judiciary, says Shekari was accused of blocking a street in Tehran and allegedly attacking a member of the security forces with a machete, who required stitches for his wounds.

“His name was Mohsen Shekari,” Alidoosti’s Instagram post said. “Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity.”

Alidoosti’s Instagram account, which had some 8 million followers, has been suspended.

Asghar Farhadi, the acclaimed flimmaker and screewriter who directed “The Salesman,” took to Instagram to express his solidarity with Alidoosti and others who have been detained.

“I stand with Taraneh and demand her release alongside that of my other fellow cineastes Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof and all the other less-known prisoners whose only crime is the attempt for a better life,” he wrote.

Other actors and film festivals have also expressed solidarity with Alidoosti.

“#TaranehAlidoosti is one of Iran’s most talented and acclaimed actors,” Jessica Chastain wrote on Twitter on Monday. “She is being held in section 209 of Evin prison, where prisoners are notoriously tortured.”

Nazanin Boniadi, the British-Iranian actor who stars in the fantasy series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” shared a petition demanding the immediate release of Alidoosti.

An open letter calling for her release has been signed by Emma Thompson, Mark Rylance, Mark Ruffalo, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Ian McKellen and many others, The Guardian reports.

The Cannes Film Festival also released a statement condemning Alidoosti’s arrest.

“The Iranian actress #TaranehAlidoosti was arrested Saturday 17 December as a result of her support for the movement for freedom in her country. The @Festival_Cannes strongly condemns this arrest and demands her immediate release,” the tweet read.

Iran has been rocked by protests since the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the morality police. The protests have since morphed into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocracy installed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

At least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations amid a harsh security crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests since they began. Over 18,200 people have been detained by authorities.

In November, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two other famous actresses in Iran, were arrested by authorities for expressing solidarity with protesters on social media. Both have been released.

SHARE: