Two prominent actresses arrested in Iran for not wearing hijabs as protests continue
March 10, 2020
By
Arya Momena
A group of female actors have been arrested in Iran in an apparent attempt to pressure them into wearing hijabs after protests in several cities took a violent turn this week.
Television and media reports have suggested at least three actresses were arrested and detained for allegedly not wearing hijabs as they attended a charity event attended by President Hassan Rouhani and his wife during which protests were reportedly planned.
One report said three actresses were arrested for wearing hijabs while they attended a “Farsi Culture Festival” event this weekend.
Another report said six Iranian-born actresses were arrested in the southern city of Basra for alleged participation in a “anti-government” protest.
The actresses’ arrest led to the death of one of their fellow protestors, reported to have been named Hamidi Khalafeh Mohammad-Ali, who was reportedly shot during the protest by Basra’s security forces while attempting to leave the protest venue.
The protests in Basra were reportedly part of an anti-government “anti-revolution” movement and sparked violence in several other cities across Iran.
The Basra protests were described as having taken place on Valentine’s Day, according to Kia Rahman of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
Kia continued to say that the protest in Basra and a number of other protests across Iran had been “part of a wider campaign of protests and clashes in several cities” in Iran.
Amnesty International has called on Iran to stop all protests until the government stops using “repressive force” to silence and suppress the right of peaceful protest.
Amnesty International’s report also said that “the government should stop the indiscriminate use of live ammunition and tear gas, especially against bystanders