Iranian Actress Hanieh Tavassoli Granted Bail After Arrest

Renowned Iranian actress Hanieh Tavassoli has been released on bail after her arrest on Saturday night at her home.

Tavassoli was arrested for content posted on social media, including a tribute to Mahsa Amini, who was killed in morality police custody, on the day of national protests commemorating the one year anniversary of her death.

A few weeks before her arrest, Tavassoli had expressed her views on Instagram, suggesting that religious authority and clerical influence were diminishing in Iran. She also emphasized the need for Iranian cinema to align itself with “the intelligent, rebellious, and courageous youth and society of today.”

“Everything comes down to these three shining words: Woman, Life, Freedom,” she added. She is one of dozens of celebrities and famous personalities including athletes, arrested and punished for sharing anti-regime sentiment online. Many have lost work, had travel bans imposed and even seen bank accounts frozen.

Anti-regime demonstrations since the death of Amini last September, have witnessed mass hijab rebellion as people discard the mandatory Islamic head covering, a statement against the clerical establishment which since the 1979 revolution, has steadily consolidated power in Iran.

Recent years have seen a surge in discontent across the nation, driven by various issues, ranging from economic grievances to concerns about political and civil rights.