Iran ‘secret way’ to target celebrities amid anti-hijab protests revealed

Iranian authorities formed a ‘secret’ committee last year in order to keep a tab on celebrities who supported.

The massive anti-hijab protests which erupted following Mahsa Amini’s death, BBC reported citing leaked documents.

In a letter dated September 22 last year, the committee sent a list of 141 well-known figures to the economy ministry. The letter asked them to investigate their tax returns, marking a well coordinated action against the celebrities who participated in the nationwide protests.

Demonstrations began across Iran after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini who was detained by the controversial morality police over her ‘inappropriate’ attire- not wearing her hijab properly. Mahsa Amini’s custodial death then led to huge protests that lasted for months in which hundreds of protesters lost their lives.

BBC said that the people on the Iranian regime’s radar included sporting legend Ali Daei and top actress Taraneh Alidoosti. Earlier this month, Iranian police said that they would begin using “smart” technology in public places to crackdown on women defying county’s strict dress code.

Iran also charged two prominent actresses- Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram- for publishing pictures of themselves without a hijab, weeks after announcing a crackdown on breaches, local media reported.