Iranian actress released on bail

Hengame Ghaziani is finally free. Iranian authorities released the famous actress on bail on Sunday, two news outlets said, more than a week after she was arrested for supporting the protest movement.

Iran is the scene of protests sparked on September 16 by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died after being arrested by police for allegedly violating the republic’s strict dress code. The authorities denounce the “riots” encouraged, they say, by the West.

Ms. Ghaziani was released on Sunday “by order of the judiciary,” the official Irna news agency reported the same evening. According to the Tasnim agency, she was released on bail.

Photographed bareheaded on a street in Tehran

According to Irna, Hengame Ghaziani was arrested on November 20 for inciting and supporting “riots” and talking to opposition media.

The actress posted on her Instagram account a video taken on a street in Tehran in which she stands in front of the camera with her head uncovered without speaking, then turns and tucks her ponytail like other women do before to go to the demonstration.

At the age of 52, she won the Best Actress award twice at the Fajr Film Festival in Tehran in 2008 and 2012.

The Irna agency also announced the release on Monday of “former state TV presenter Mahmoud Shahriari after two months in prison.” At the age of 63, he was arrested at the end of September for “inciting disorder and solidarity with the enemy”.

700 prisoners released

On Saturday, local media announced the release of prominent Kurdish footballer Voria Ghafuri, who was arrested on Thursday for “propaganda” against the state. His wife denied his release on Instagram. Authorities are reporting thousands of people arrested in connection with the protests, including cinema, political and sports figures.

More than 700 prisoners have been released following Iran’s victory over Wales at the World Cup in Qatar, judiciary agency Mizan Online reported on Monday.