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Iranian prosecutors opened a criminal case against a theater company after a spectator’s cellphone captured an actress resting her head against an actor’s chest on stage — behavior authorities called a violation of “social norms.”
The play, a drama titled “Tehran Paris Tehran,” tells the story of a young girl named Sara who travels from Tehran to Paris, and then back, to get revenge for her father’s murder.
The scene in question shows star Fatemeh Masoudifar leaning her head toward Mehrdad Sedighian’s chest, as he appears to place his hand over her head.
Physical contact in public between men and women who aren’t related is banned by the Islamic Republic, and the stage isn’t exempt.
But the production company said Saturday the cell phone video, filmed at a tight angle, was misleading, showing the actors closer than they were on stage at Tehran’s Book Garden, Iran International reported.
What’s more, the production company said, the two characters in the scene are brother and sister — meaning physical contact between them would not be prohibited under Islamic law.
The company said the embrace came during a moment of crisis in the story.
The case is the latest legal action against Iranian artists over alleged violations of the country’s religious laws.
Earlier this week, an appeals court in the city of Qom upheld the convictions of singer Parastoo Ahmadi and seven other musicians over a December 2024 YouTube concert in which she performed without wearing a hijab.
Each was sentenced to 74 lashes and banned for two years from performing or traveling.
