Iranian 'Angelina Jolie' Instagram star sentenced to 10 years in prison

Iranian 'Angelina Jolie' Instagram star sentenced to 10 years in prison
An Iranian Instagram star whose eccentric doctored selfies led to comparisons with Angelina Jolie was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
2 min read
12 December, 2020
[Instagram]
An Iranian Instagram celebrity known for her heavily distorted photos and thought to resemble American actress Angelina Jolie was sentenced to 10 years in prison, The Guardian reported on Friday.

Fatemeh Khishvand - known on Instagram as "Sahar Tabar" - was arrested in October 2019 as part of a nationwide crackdown on social media influencers.

Her charges included 
blasphemy, incitement to violence and "encouraging youth to engage in lunacy". 

In April, Khishvand had reportedly contracted the novel coronavirus while in custody and was placed on a ventilator.

The influencer was denied bail multiple times, even as Iran experienced a Covid-19 outbreak.

Khishvand shot to fame in 2017 due to her selfies showcasing a gaunt face, inflated lips and an upturned pointy nose, which were widely believed to have been the result of extensive plastic surgery operations.

However, she later revealed her features had been exaggerated through photo editing.

According to The Guardian, Khishvand had expressed remorse for her social media posts in a confession broadcast by Iranian state television in October last year. In the television report, Khishvand was described as “a victim with an abnormal personality and mental state” who sought “vulgarity” on social media.

Khishvand had called on Jolie to campaign for her release, stating Iran has a "history of tormenting women" and calling for unity against "gender apartheid".

Khishvand is reportedly mentally ill and has been admitted to psychiatric hospitals, according to The Guardian.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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