Iranian actress Marzieh Vafemehr, who was charged in connection to her role in the Australian film My Tehran for Sale, has been freed and spared from lashing, Amnesty International announced.

Vafamehr's charges were reportedly related to her not wearing a hijab and showing her shaved head in the film. She was arrested in June, but news of her charges only surfaced around the second week of October due to a news blackout on her case, until Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com posted her ordeal.

"We are extremely pleased to hear that Marzieh has been released without being subjected to the cruel and degrading punishment of flogging, but the crackdown on filmmakers continues in Iran," Amnesty International's Campaigns Manager, Hannah Harborow told The Australian.

In 2008, South Australian producer Kate Croser filmed the movie under Cyan Films in Tehran and brought the footage back to Adelaide for post production. Croser has previously said all the permissions were secured for the movie.

Speaking on what she knew about the case, Croser said, "We can say the charges were that there was no permit for filming, which is not true, and that in some scenes Marzieh was not wearing a hijab and had a shaved head."

RELATED STORIES