A “zombie” Angelina Jolie lookalike has caught coronavirus in a notorious jail in Iran, a human rights group says.
Fatemeh Khishvand, who became an Instagram star due to her alleged transformation, is said to be on a ventilator and fighting for her life at Sina Hospital in Tehran.
The 18-year-old was detained in October last year amid a crackdown on Instagram celebrities, and faces charges including “corruption on earth”, “encouraging youth to engage in lunacy”, “insulting the sacred” and “acquiring illicit income”, said activists calling for her release.
Lawyers for Ms Khishvand, known on Instagram as Sahar Tabar, had begged a judge to free her due to Iran’s coronavirus outbreak – the worst in the Middle East – but she was refused bail even though other prisoners have been released following similar concerns.
Lawyer Payam Derafshan told the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI): “We find it unacceptable that this young woman has now caught the coronavirus in these circumstances while her detention order has been extended during all this time in jail.”
Ms Khishvand faces years in prison “for engaging in peaceful freedom of expression on her personal Instagram account”, the CHRI added.
Iran has suffered one of the worst outbreaks with almost 78,000 cases and 5,000 deaths reported by Tehran and the country has been accused of grossly under reporting cases and deaths.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
