Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes for making film about regime's harsh restrictions on artists



An Iranian actress who made a film challenging the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail.



Actress Marzieh Vafamehr was handed the sentence on Saturday, according to a Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com.



'A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr, sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes. Her lawyer has appealed the sentence,' the website stated.

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Arrest: Marzieh Vafamehr was first questioned by police in July after appearing in My Tehran For Sale (pictured) which came under criticism in conservative circles

Vafamehr was arrested in July after appearing in My Tehran For Sale, which came under harsh criticism in conservative circles.



The film, produced in collaboration with Australia, tells the story of a young actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the authorities.

She is then forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically.



The film was part of the official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009.



The Fars news agency said the movie had not been approved for screening in Iran and was being distributed in the country illegally.

Controversial plot: Vafamehr in a still from My Theran For Sale, which tells the story of a young actress whose theatre work is banned by the authorities

Damning subtitles: In one scene, where Vafamehr's character returns to her family home, she is told that her visit is not appreciated by all

Vafamehr was released in late July after posting unspecified bail.



She is not the only person in the Iranian film industry to face harsh treatment.

The government arrested a further six independent filmmakers last month, on charges of collaborating with the BBC to show the country in a poor light.

Two of them, Naser Saffarian and Mohsen Shahrnazdar, who were accused of providing the BBC's Farsi foreign language service with information, films and secret reports to paint "a black picture of Iran and Iranians," were released Saturday, the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association said.