Canberra, Oct 11 (ANI): Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has said that his government condemns the use of cruel and inhuman punishments in Iran after reports emerged that an actress was sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for her role in a film.
Marzieh Vafamehr was given the punishment last Saturday for working in a film, produced in collaboration with Australia, that highlights the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic.
According to The Age, Rudd said the Australian government was 'deeply concerned' by the recent reports.
"The Australian government urges Iran to protect the rights of all Iranians and foreign citizens," Rudd's office said.
The movie, 'My Tehran For Sale' was shot in Tehran and tells the story of a young actress whose theatre work is banned by the authorities, and she is forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically. he filmmakers and investors behind the film said they are 'deeply shocked and appalled' by her sentence.
Cyan Films producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said in a statement they were not aware of the specifics of the charges, but believed they related to scenes in which Vafamehr appears without wearing a hijab.
"The producers would like to emphasise that Marzieh's involvement in the film was limited to her role as an actress and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking," they said. (ANI)
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