Marzieh Vafamehr, Iranian actress, was sentenced for appearing in My Tehran For Sale, a South Australian-produced movie critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies. The actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail, who had been arrested in July following the controversy.

The movie about Marzieh is a young female actress living in Tehran. The authorities ban her theatre work and, like all young people in Iran, she is forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically. At an underground rave, she meets Iranian born Saman, now an Australian citizen, who offers her a way out of her country and the possibility of living without fear. A documentary on the life of an ambitious woman showcased for a good cause.

The sentence had wide protests from the global public. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd's office said the Australian government condemned the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and was "deeply concerned" by the reports. "The Australian government urges Iran to protect the rights of all Iranians and foreign citizens," Mr Rudd's office said.

The filmmakers and investors behind the film, which was produced by Cyan Films, say they are "deeply shocked and appalled" by her sentence. The producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said in a statement they were not aware of the specifics of the charges but believed they related to scenes in which Vafamehr appears without wearing a hijab. They further ascertained that the film was never intended to be distributed within Iran and its dissemination on the black market in Tehran had been totally outside their control, the producers said

According to a Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com, Vafamehr was handed the sentence on Saturday. It also says Vafamehr's lawyer has appealed against the sentence.