Iran has arrested two outstanding actors who expressed solidarity with the protest motion and eliminated their headscarves in public in an obvious act of defiance in opposition to the regime, state media reported Sunday.

Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi have been each detained after being summoned by prosecutors in a probe into their “provocative” social media posts and media exercise, the state-run IRNA information company stated.

Iran’s clerical management has been shaken by greater than two months of women-led demonstrations sparked by the loss of life in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl of Kurdish origin who had been arrested by the morality police in Tehran.

Authorities within the Islamic republic describe the protests as “riots” and accuse the nation’s Western foes of fomenting them.

Ghaziani, a vocal critic of the crackdown on protesters, was arrested for inciting and supporting the “riots” and for speaking with opposition media, IRNA stated.

The 52-year-old movie star had already indicated she had been summoned by the judiciary, after which revealed a video on Instagram of herself eradicating the compulsory hijab.

“Possibly this might be my final publish,” she wrote late Saturday.

“From this second on, no matter occurs to me, know that as all the time, I’m with the Iranian folks till my final breath.”

The video, which seems to have been filmed in a purchasing avenue, exhibits Ghaziani bareheaded going through the digicam with out talking after which turning round and binding her hair right into a ponytail.

In a publish final week, she accused the “child-killer” Iranian authorities of “murdering” greater than 50 youngsters.

‘Voice of oppressed folks’

Riahi was later arrested in the identical probe, IRNA stated.

The actor, 60, who has appeared in a string of award-winning films and can also be identified for her charitable work, had in September given an interview to London-based Iran Worldwide TV, an outlet despised by the regime, with out sporting a hijab.

She had expressed solidarity with the protests which have swept Iran for the reason that loss of life of Mahsa Amini, in addition to opposition to the compulsory hijab.

In line with the judiciary’s Mizan On-line information web site, Ghaziani was amongst eight individuals who have been summoned by prosecutors over “provocative” materials posted on social media.

In addition they included Yahya Golmohammadi, coach of Tehran soccer staff Persepolis FC, who had strongly criticised gamers on Iran’s nationwide squad for not “bringing the voice of oppressed folks to the ears of the authorities”.

The remark got here after the nationwide soccer staff final week met President Ebrahim Raisi forward of their look on the World Cup, which started Sunday in Qatar.

Mizan stated different outstanding actors together with Mitra Hajjar and Baran Kosari had additionally been summoned.

Earlier this month Taraneh Alidoosti, one among Iran’s best-known actors remaining within the nation, posted a picture of herself on social media with out the obligatory scarf.

Alidoosti vowed to remain in her homeland at “any value”, saying she deliberate to cease working and as an alternative assist the households of these killed or arrested within the protest crackdown.

Iranian cinema figures have been underneath stress even earlier than the beginning of the protest motion sparked by Amini’s loss of life.

Prize-winning administrators Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi stay in detention after they have been arrested earlier this 12 months.