Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti released on bail after 18 days in jail

Alidoosti was detained after posting photos of herself without a headscarf and expressing support for anti-government protests

Prominent Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti speaks on a mobile phone after being released from Evin prison in Tehran. AP

Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti has been released on bail from Tehran's Evin prison, after being jailed for 18 days for supporting the country's anti-government protests, local media reported.

Alidoosti is considered one of the most high-profile public figures to be detained during the demonstrations since they began on September 16 after 22 year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died in police custody for breaching the country's dress code.

The 38-year-old Alidoosti was arrested on December 17 after making several posts on social media, including ones in which she removed her headscarf and condemned the execution of protesters.

She also posted a photo of herself with the phrase “woman, life, freedom”, a slogan frequently used during the protests.

Iran has executed at least two demonstrators since the movement started and has sentenced several more to death over charges that include “enmity against God”, which can carry the death penalty.

Unverified photos shared on social media showed Alidoosti — star of Oscar-winning film The Salesman — holding flowers outside the prison and being greeted by colleagues and friends. She was also shown unveiled after purportedly leaving the prison.

Mizan Online, the official news agency of Iran’s judiciary, said at the time that she had been detained for publishing comments “without citation” as well as posts containing “provocative material in support of street riots”.