Actress facing prison and flogging because of red carpet kiss

Published: 2014 May 24 16:32:15 (15784 Views)

Iranian actress Leila Hatami, star of Oscar-winning film "A Separation," is apparently facing a flogging in her home country after publicly kissing Cannes president Gilles Jacob.

Under Iran's strict Islamic regime, unrelated men and women are not allowed to touch or kiss each other in public.

A photograph carried by Iranian media showed Ms Hatami kissing Mr Jacob at the opening of the festival earlier this month, prompting a reprimand.

A group of female Iranian students is seeking legal action against Ms Hatami, calling for her to be sentenced to a jail term and lashed, according to the Iranian website Tasnim News.

She must be flogged for "kissing a strange man," they said in the petition.

The kiss, a simple peck on the cheek, took place at the world premiere of "Grace of Monaco" last Wednesday.

It was also the opening night of the 67th Cannes Film Festival in France.

The petition adds, "We, the undersigned, who are a group of student Muslim brothers and sisters, ask the cultural and media branch of the judiciary to prosecute Leila Hatami for her sinful act of kissing a strange man in public, which according to article 638 of Islamic Criminal Justice carries a prison sentence."

Adding, "Furthermore, the action of this film star has hurt the religious sentiments of the proud and martyrs breeding nation of Iran and as such we also demand the punishment of flogging for her as stipulated in the law."

Hatami is the daughter of popular Iranian director Ali Hatami and is married with two children.

Hatami has apologised to her country.

"I am so sorry for hurting the feelings of some people," she wrote in a letter to Iran's cinema organisation, and reported by the state media agency.

Ms Hatami underlined her respect for Islamic rules of behaviour in public, but festival president Gilles Jacob, 83, "had forgotten the aforementioned rules, which comes with old age".

"My pre-emptive action of hand shaking was fruitless," she wrote, explaining the kiss.

"Although I am embarrassed to give these explanations, I had no choice but to go into details for those who could not understand the inevitable situation that I was stuck in," she said.

"In my eyes, he is certainly like an old grandfather who was also my host."

Source - Variety/Telegraph

Tags: religion, actress,

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