Iranian authorities have banned actresses from participating in new cinematic works after they appeared in public without the mandatory hijab in Iran. Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad Mahdi Esmaeili, stated after a cabinet meeting that "those who do not comply with the law do not have the right to work."
These statements followed the announcement by cinema sector official Habib Ilbeik that more than 12 actresses have been prohibited from participating in projects requiring local authority approval due to their violation of hijab laws. He pointed out that these actresses "will not be allowed to take part in the filming of new movies," adding that previously filmed works would be shown to prevent production companies from incurring significant financial losses due to the ban.
Since last year, many Iranian actresses have appeared in public or on their social media accounts without the mandatory hijab. These actions occurred amid widespread protests that have emerged in the country since September 2022, following the death of young Mahsa Amini after being detained by the morality police for not adhering to strict dress codes.
The newspaper "Hamshahri," affiliated with Tehran Municipality, noted that some of those affected by the ban are well-known actresses such as Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoon Riahi, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, and Panta Bahram. Alidoosti was detained for about three weeks and was released in early January after expressing her support for the protest movement. Additionally, the police filed complaints in April against Riahi and Bahram for "committing the crime of removing the hijab in a public place and posting pictures online," according to Iranian agency Tasnim at the time.
