Iranian girls dancing in Tehran (TikTok)
An Iranian model caused a stir online after wearing a collared dress that looked like a choke loop to raise awareness of executions that have begun again in Iran.
Melka Jabri, 33, who was born in Isfahan and now lives in San Diego, California, posted a video to her Instagram account that she "dedicated to the Iranian people" after appearing on the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. She shared the video with the hashtag "#StopExecutionsInIran.
Iran has executed at least 90 people in the past 18 days, making May the country's "bloodiest month" in five years, according to the Norwegian human rights group Iran Diary Ratings.
The video and the dress Jabri chose to wear went viral, and journalists, commentators and government officials responded to it, some with support and some with harsh criticism. Some critics called her performance "shameful". "Innocent Iranians are being executed and Melka Jabri thought it was a good idea to wear a dress with a hanging rope sewn on it, and then shoot a seductive video with a song that became the protesters' anthem. It's shameful. And ending the video with 'Stop the executions' without any context or information doesn't really help," leftist journalist Remain Ali wrote.
Mekele Jabari at the Cannes Film Festival (Photo: GettyImages)
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On the other hand, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, wrote that Jabari's government was a sign of her "courage." Others said they stood by her.
Jabri posted a statement on her Instagram account following the heated comments to clarify her fashion choice.
"Festivil Cannes 76, the second sight," she wrote. "My dress was designed by @jilaatelier. We wanted to make a fashionable statement that reflected Cannes' glamour, but more importantly, to draw the media's attention to the unjust executions of the Iranian people. Unfortunately, political statements are not approved by the festival organizers and the security team did not let me show the back of the dress, but the meaning of the loop was well understood."
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