Actress Soheila Golestani, who starred in the Oscar-nominated film The Seed of the Sacred Fig, will not be attending the Academy Awards due to restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities.
Golestani, 44, has been barred from leaving her home in Tehran and is facing charges of “spreading corruption on earth and propaganda against the regime” at Iran’s Revolutionary Court, according to The Times.
The film, which critiques social and political tensions in Iran, is nominated for Best International Feature but has been submitted as a German entry rather than an Iranian one. Golestani could face up to a year in prison and 74 lashes if convicted.
This is not the first time Golestani has been targeted by the Iranian regime. She was previously imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin prison—known for holding political prisoners—after posting a video in support of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. The video showed Golestani and other actresses removing their hijabs in defiance of Iran’s mandatory dress code.
The film’s director, Mohammad Rasoulof, and other cast members fled Iran last year after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi briefly lifted curfew restrictions. Golestani, however, was unable to leave due to a medical procedure.
“I got stranded because of my operation. But leaving your home and land is a personal decision, as unique to each person as their fingerprints. And I wanted to stay and face the impact of what I had done and my right to do it,” she told The Times.
Golestani said attending the Oscars would have been an “amazing opportunity,” but she is glad the film is receiving recognition. “The cast and crew in attendance would be like my presence there,” she said.
Director Rasoulof, who had previously been imprisoned for his work, had been facing an eight-year sentence before fleeing Iran.
This Story originally came from humanevents.com