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RFL/RE – Renowned Iranian actress Hengameh Ghaziani, known for her public opposition to the mandatory hijab, says she has been summoned to appear in court for her stance against the mandatory hijab law, compounding fears for her freedom after she was arrested last year for participating in a women’s rights protest.
In a series of Instagram stories, Ghaziani said she will appear in court on November 4.
Ghaziani urged that, in the event of her arrest, no one should attempt to post bail on her behalf as all such matters have been entrusted to Iran’s House of Cinema.SEE ALSO:’Naked’ And Defiant: Diary Of An Iranian Protester
The 53-year-old film and theater actress also recounted her arrest last year, saying eight people “stormed her residence” before she was arrested by security forces last November along with fellow actress Katayoun Riahi after they removed their head scarves in public in an act of defiance against the regime.
“Their [security agents’] actions still haunt my memories,” she said.
Ghaziani and Riahi were detained after being summoned by prosecutors in a probe into their “provocative” activities, the state-run IRNA news agency said at the time.
The lack of women’s rights in Iran has come under intense scrutiny since the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
Iranians, angered by the 22-year-old’s death while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation, have poured onto the streets across the country to protest the treatment of women and a general lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls making unprecedented shows of support in the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
Several film industry luminaries and other prominent public figures have also been summoned by the police or arrested after they made public appearances without wearing the mandatory hijab to show support for the protesters.
In response, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on dissent, detaining thousands and handing down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
While the protests appear to be waning, resistance to the hijab, or mandatory head scarf, remains high as it is seen now as a symbol of the state’s repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society.
