Iran upholds one-year prison sentence for actress Elnaz Shakerdoost

An appeals court in Iran has upheld a one-year prison sentence for leading actress Elnaz Shakerdoost for supporting protesters killed during the crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in January, the AFP agency reports, as cited by Al Jazeera.

The sentence, confirmed by a court in Tehran according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency and the independent portal Emtedad, which spoke with the actress’s lawyer, also includes a two-year ban on political, artistic and online activities.

Shakerdoost, who starred in dozens of films during a two-decade career, declared in February that she would never perform in the country again after the authorities killed thousands of people in the nationwide crackdown; her current whereabouts are unknown.

In her February post the actress wrote: “I am in mourning for my loved ones; what feast, what celebration can there be? I will not take part in any celebration and I will never play another role in this land that smells of blood.”