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 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.
A parliamentary report said the actual number might be almost twice as many and warned that up to 75 per cent of the Iranian population could test positive for Coovid-19 if isolation measures are not implemented.
In a worst-case scenario, as many as 30,000 could die if just 10 per cent of containment measures are in place, the report added.
Ms Khishvand became an Instagram star in 2017 when she posted photos of her transformation.
She claimed she had undergone 50 surgeries to look like Oscar-winning actress Ms Jolie, 44.
But Instagram users dubbed her a “zombie” due to her hollow cheeks, upturned nose and gaunt appearance.
But she later admitted she had achieved the look through the use of make-up and digital editing, and shared photos of her actual appearance.
Her lawyer, Mr Derafshan, said Judge Mohammad Moghiseh repeatedly denied to release her on bail as the coronavirus outbreak worsened, and the judge is now “unreachable”.
Mr Derafshan added: “It’s not the prison director’s fault that she’s behind bars. The responsibility rests with Mr Moghiseh.”
Jail officials denied that she had caught the disease.