The announcement from Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the attorney general, represents a stern warning to the small but growing band of Iranian female film stars that their careers can be derailed for violating the Islamic regime's strict dress code when abroad.
While Mr Mohseni-Ejei, a former intelligence minister, did not mention specific actresses, his comments came in answer to journalists' questions apparently referring to Leila Hatami, star of "A Separation", which has won multiple awards this year, including an Oscar for best foreign film.
Asked at a press conference why police were "confronting" actresses who appeared at ceremonies while wearing hijab (Islamic covering), Mr Mohseni-Ejei replied: "Which person who has appeared overseas with hijab is confronted?
"Regarding this issue, a few people are banned from leaving the country. These people have been invited abroad to take part in a ceremony and under the pretext of receiving an award. Then they have been ensnared in certain people's traps.
"Those people, after taking pictures of their baits, forced them to undertake activities and based on the photographs, they have blackmailed their victims and taken them to a place where they shouldn't. Of course, some of these people, after returning to Iran, are banned from leaving the country." » | Robert Tait | Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Haven't these ayatollahs and their henchmen got anything better to do than impose travel bans on successful, attractive actresses? Their non-existent god will not thank them for it. – © Mark
