There are moments when we can marvel at the massive amounts of progress and advancement that human civilization has made over the centuries, when we can be proud of how far we’ve come as people in our relatively brief time on this Earth.
But then there are the moments where the darker, more sinister side of human nature comes to the fore. When Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr was reportedly sentenced by an Iranian judge to a year in jail in addition to 90 lashes—yes, that’s right, they still have lashes as punishments apparently—for the “crime” of appearing in a movie which depicted the restrictions put on artists in the Islamic country, such darkness and violence has once again reared its head.
The movie in question is called My Tehran for Sale, co-produced by Australian Kate Croser. Clearly worried over the horrific treatment that Vafamehr is undergoing as a result of her role in the film, Croser expressed to the Adelaide Times that “there is an appeal which could be lengthy and the family may still believe that public comment will be unhelpful because they are going through all the official channels.”
Croser also explained that “We can say the charges were that there was no permit for filming, which is not true, and that in some scenes Marzieh was not wearing a hijab and had a shaved head.”
There can be no doubt that, regardless of whether her lawyer’s appeal will be successful, Vafamehr is going through a very troubling time right now. The fact that she is even facing such cruel and unusual punishment simply for appearing in a movie which expressed some of the realities of the Iranian regime is a matter of grave concern. One can only hope that the attention that her case is receiving may help change the verdict.
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