Iranian Instagram star who shocked the world with her zombie-like transformation of Angelina Jolie has contracted coronavirus.
Fatemeh Khishvand, who goes by the name of Sahar Tabar on Instagram had shot to fame for her abnormal transformation inspired by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie. She was called Zombie Angelina Jolie and initially most felt that it was plastic surgery that had gone wrong till Fatemah clarified herself that all her posts were just a product of good makeup and some crazy photo editing tools.
The Instagram star was arrested in October 2019 and has been so far in jail where she is believed to have caught the infection. Her lawyers had appealed to the authorities for her to be released amid Iran’s COVID-19 outbreak but were turned down by a judge who refused to grant her bail.
She faces a slew of charges including blasphemy, inciting violence and encouraging the corruption of young people, and for expressing herself on her Instagram.
“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,” human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan told US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Back in 2017 Fatemah had claimed that she had undergone 50 surgeries to look like her favourite Hollywood star- Jolie and posted selfies that showed that the surgeries had gone horribly wrong. The shocking emancipated look shocked everyone on social media and she mater told everyone that the emanciated look was a result of makeup and clever digital editing.
Late in 2019, she shared images with her tens of thousands of followers showing what she actually looks like.
The judge, Mohammad Moghiseh in Iran repeatedly denied to release her on bail.
The Instagram star, according to her lawyer is currently on a ventilator.
Interestingly, jail officials in Tehran where Fatemah is kept has denied the news of her illness. “It seems like it has become a habit for the authorities to deny everything,” Derafshan told CHRI.
“It makes no sense to deny this. The prison director should acknowledge the infection and admit she has been hospitalized.”
“Many women in Shahr-e Rey Prison have contacted my colleague and me about the terrible situation inside the prison and the fear that exists among the inmates (due to the coronavirus),” he added.
“We want the authorities to issue a general order to allow these prisoners to be temporarily released. In the absence of judges who are sick or not coming to work, this is the only solution.”
At least 77,995 cases have been reported in Iran, with 4,869 deaths.
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