LONDON: Turkish actress Birce Akalay has dedicated an award won at the Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards to the women killed during recent government crackdowns in Iran.
Akalay won the International Actress of the Year Award at DIAFA 2022 in Dubai last week.
Wearing a stunning off-the-shoulder navy gown with a ruched bodice and pleated skirt, Akalay expressed her dismay at events in Iran. She said: “Women are being killed only for what they wear,” Iran International reported.
Anti-government demonstrations in Iran erupted in September after the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s strict dress codes.
One of the biggest challenges to Iran’s clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the nationwide demonstrations have continued for eight weeks despite a tough security crackdown and severe warnings from security forces.
People from all walks of life have taken part in the protest movement, with students and women playing a prominent role, waving and burning headscarves.