Iranian Actress Faces Jail, Lashing For Critical Movie Role

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An Iranian opposition website says an Iranian actress has been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in a movie critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies.

The Kalameh.com site said Monday that Marzieh Vafamehr's attorney has appealed the sentence. Lashing sentences are not uncommon in Iran, but many are not carried out. There was no official statement.

Vafamehr appeared in the film "My Tehran for Sale," shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.

The movie was produced by an Australian-based company and directed by an Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi.

It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.

Comments

[jusathot]

12:07 AM on 10/13/2011

Life imitating art in a brutal way.

[season555]

12:54 AM on 10/12/2011

Why are these Ayatollahs so scared? If they were in the right path they would have nothing to be scared off.

[debinoz]

03:31 AM on 10/11/2011

I saw this film about a year ago. It is a beautifully made film.The fact that the main actress is now being held in prison and could face barbaric punishment is ironic. The film demonstrates how the Iranian people are oppressed and do not want to live under Islamic- Sharia law. Young Iranians want to enjoy the freedoms of normality - parties,free dress code, being able to have friends of the opposite sex and being able to be out in public with them. I have a large group of Muslim Iranian friends who now live in Australia - they tell me they are the lucky ones who were able to get out of Iran because of their education and ability to obtain Australian citizenship.They raise their children without fear, oppression, freedom of speech and choice.Their children can go to school without being indoctinated by religion. There are many who sadly are not able to get out of this oppressive country,and some who are brave enough to try to get here by people smugglers. My Iranian friends tell me that life in 'Persia' was happy and free before the introduction of Islam and Sharia law - many Iranians look back at their past and wish they could be governed according to the democracy they once knew. Many, many Iranians face death, stoning, whipping just for wanting to lead a normal free life.

[moonwolfph]

01:27 PM on 10/11/2011

They all have my sympathy. ';-(

[Brewerstroupe]

01:21 AM on 10/11/2011

"An Iranian opposition website says..."

Says it all really.

Why don't we see other headlines in the MSM based on "opposition websites"?

Just imagine it.

"Bankers face Guillotine"
"NATO commits mass-murder"
"Mossad did 911"

Sheesh.

[kazio]

12:15 PM on 10/11/2011

Were you expecting the state-run IRIB to run the news?

[Brewerstroupe]

04:26 PM on 10/11/2011

What I continue to hope for but do not expect is a return to journalistic standards where a story such as this would not be aired until there were two corroborating sources and, preferably, comment from both sides.

What we have here is an allegation by a single activist anti government source purporting to be fact.

As I have pointed out, that is like taking a statement from "Occupy Wall St" and printing it as fact.

You may take absence of evidence as evidence of fact. I do not.

[jokerdano]

12:28 AM on 10/11/2011

90 lashes she will never live threw it.

[methnkng]

01:33 AM on 10/11/2011

It is just barbaric.

[brantaydes]

01:41 AM on 10/11/2011

through

[avanticrzy]

11:49 PM on 10/10/2011

Remember, she was raised in Iran and must have known what would happen to her...........I don't agree with the punishment, but it's their country and their laws and she knew the laws.................

[methnkng]

01:33 AM on 10/11/2011

She is a heroine for free speech.

[maunalio]

11:17 PM on 10/10/2011

Persia was a beautiful place before islam. All the women should shave their heads since it is the long tresses that drive men wild in the middle east. Our men seem to like long tresses but have control over their lusts for the most parts. Muslim men do not. Must be more testostrone in their make up. Except they are the brothers of jew who also control themselves. HUmmmm!!
The Iranians islamists treat everyone like children. Nanny state if I ever saw one. I wonder when they will have the guts like the army's of Cyrus to take back their destiny and join the free world.

[bra5611]

09:40 PM on 10/10/2011

its things like this that outrage americans but we are blind to the dangers that the consertive christian movement poses for our country...

[jankantius]

08:58 PM on 10/10/2011

Actually, most of the people portrayed looked peacefull. There, just as here, the power rests with only a few Why are you using this as an opportunity to insult Muslims?

[Brett Tonaille]

09:33 PM on 10/10/2011

Is criticizing the hideously oppressive and fundamentalist government of Iran the same as insulting Muslims?

[new 10 ole ole]

09:35 PM on 10/10/2011

Probably due to the fact I was reading something else.
I have developed a real distrust , but, not a hate.

[jankantius]

10:35 PM on 10/11/2011

There are a lot of people in Israel that oppose the mistreatment of the Palestinians. As there are a lot of Islamic people that oppose the crazies. Did you hear that in Egypt when the military unleashed goon squads and the army to suppress the Coptic Christian demonstrations, loads of Muslims protected them and even started throwing rocks at the army?

[Annette Hammond]

07:30 PM on 10/10/2011

Wow,that's sickening.Sad for her.

[simzillyjp]

07:54 PM on 10/10/2011

This is the Islamic way on women.

[David Dunesbury]

05:06 AM on 10/11/2011

The treatment of women in the Muslim world is deplorable....

[moonwolfph]

06:10 PM on 10/10/2011

Wow. The "peaceful" muslim himbos strike again. Shocking.