An Iranian journalist called on Angelina Jolie to help an Iranian Instagram model who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "promoting public corruption." Sahar Tabar, the model whose real name is Fatemeh Khishvand, was arrested after her she posted photos of her distorted face that several people claimed resembled like zombified Angelina Jolie and "Corpse Bride."
Tabar, 19, was charged with blasphemy, inciting violence and pushing youths to corruption. Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad sought Jolie's help in the matter.
"I call on Angelina Jolie to help an Iranian 19-year-old girl who received 10 years prison sentence for using makeup & Photoshop to turn herself into Angelina. [The] Islamic Republic has a history of tormenting women. We need to be united against this gender apartheid," Alinejab wrote on Twitter.
Last October, Iranian state TV showed Tabar's confession describing her as "a victim with an abnormal personality and mental state" who sought "vulgarity" on social media. However, her expressions of remorse throughout the confession evoked sympathy among Iranians.
Tabar's medical records reportedly showed that she suffered from a mental illness and made several visits to psychiatric hospitals. Her lawyers sought her release saying that she was too young when she posted her pictures on Instagram.
In April, Tabar was denied bail after her legal team told a Tehran court that she was on ventilator after contracting Covid-19. However, Iranian officials said that Tabar was all right and that she had was not tested positive with coronavirus.
After her photos went viral on social media, people believed that Tabar underwent surgeries to look like Jolie. However, she later admitted that she edited and used multiple filters citing artistic expression.
"This is Photoshop and makeup," she reportedly said at the time. "Every time I publish a photo, I paint my face in an increasingly funny way. It is a way of expressing yourself, a kind of art. My fans know that this is not my real face."
