Iranian actor Taraneh Alidoosti takes off headscarf, pledges support to protestors

Prominent Iranian actor Taraneh Alidoosti Thursday shared a photograph of herself without her headscarf as protests continued in the country against its severe dress code, reported news agency AFP. In a photograph shared on Instagram, Alidoosti is seen holding a Kurdish-language slogan that the AFP translated as “Jin. Jiyan. Azadi.” (Woman. Life. Freedom.), reportedly a slogan of the protests.
Protests erupted in Iran weeks ago after the death of a 22-year-old woman, allegedly in the hands of the country’s brutal morality police. Mahsa Ahmadi’s death sparked demonstrations in which at least 328 people have been killed and 14,825 others arrested, reported the news agency AP, quoting Human Rights Activs in Iran. However, Iranian state media has claimed the security forces have not killed anyone.
The 38-year-old Alidoosti, best known abroad for her work in the 2016 Oscar-winning movie ‘The Salesman’, is one of the few actors residing in Tehran who have shown support for the protests, said the report.
A long-time collaborator of Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi, Alidoosti has also worked in award-winning movies like ‘About Elly’ and ‘Leila’s Brothers’, the latter of which was shown at the Cannes film festival earlier this year.

The actor said on Instagram, where she has nearly 8 million followers, that she will remain in Iran at “any price,” quashing rumours that she has a foreign passport or residence.
“I have inherited this courage from the women of my land, who for years have been living their lives every day with resance and equality, and ending with the dream of freedom,” she wrote.
“I will stay, I will quit [working], I will stand with the families of the prisoners and murdered and demand their rights. I will fight for my home. I will pay whatever it takes to stand for my right, and most importantly: I believe in what we are building together today,” she added.
Several actors, sportspersons and other prominent personalities have voiced their support for the ongoing protests. Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani and footballer Sardar Azmoun criticised the government’s handling of the protests and extended support to the demonstrators.  French actors Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard and several others had cut their hair in solidarity with the ‘Hair For Freedom’ movement on social media in October.