Iranian Actress Reportedly Arrested over Online Posts

Iranian authorities have arrested actress Shohreh Qamar over content she posted on her Instagram page, local media report.

The judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency announced on July 26 that the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has filed a legal case against Qamar over content that "spread psychological insecurity in society."

Hours later, Fars and Tasnim news agencies, known for their proximity to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported the arrest of the actress.

The reports claimed that Qamar took to her Instagram page to level "accusations and insults" against officials of the Islamic Republic and to "express well wishes for the health of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while offering support to the Zionist regime, even calling for street riots" in Iran.

Fars quoted what it said was an extract from an Instagram post directed at Netanyahu. "I prayed a lot for your health. Stay alive," the message purportedly read.

Qamar is a controversial figure in Iran.

She has expressed support for top Islamic Republic officials such as President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and has leveled insults against late singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian, actress Taraneh Alidoosti, footballer Ali Karimi and other celebrities, sparking widespread discussions on social media. 

She has also expressed support for the execution of Navid Afkari, a wrestler executed in September 2020 after being sentenced to death over the alleged killing of a security officer during a protest in 2008.