An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for working in a film that highlights the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic.
Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested in July after appearing in ‘My Tehran for Sale,’ which came under harsh criticism in conservative circles, the Telegraph reports.
The movie, produced in collaboration with Australia, is a story of a young actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the authorities, and she is forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically.
The movie was not approved for screening in Iran, but was illegally distributed in the country, the paper said.
According to a Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com, Vafamehr was handed the sentence on Saturday.
“A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr, sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes,” the website said.
“Her lawyer has appealed the sentence, which was handed down on Saturday” it added.