IRIB probing actress Motamed-Arya ban over hijab

TEHRAN, June 16 (MNA) -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is studying to whether or not to impose a ban on Iranian cinema and television actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya.

The supervising committee will make a final decision and if the ban is approved, the actress would be barred, deputy managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Morteza Mirbaqeri told the Persian service of MNA.

A picture showing Motamed-Arya without hijab and wearing a green wristband at a place identified as the Doha pavilion at this year’s Cannes Film Market was published on the Jahan News and a number of other Persian websites. Motamed-Arya was censured for her appearance at Cannes by an Iranian MP.

“The photo was taken in a cosmetics store while she was trying on several costume jewelry bracelets of various colors; yellow, red, blue,” Motamed-Arya’s husband Ahmad Hamed said.

Hamed threatened to file lawsuits against those websites that have published reports about her participation in the Cannes film festival last month.

The actress was playing a major role in Mohammadreza Honarmand’s TV series “The Chef” which came to an end on Monday.

Motamed-Arya and Iranian filmmakers Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Jafar Panahi were barred from traveling abroad following the unrest that occurred after the 2009 Iranian presidential election.

However, Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi lifted the travel restrictions on Motamed-Arya last December.