Iran has released two prominent cultural figures from jail following intense criticism of its crackdown against artists and rights activists. Pegah Ahangarani, 27, a popular actor and outspoken supporter of the country's opposition green movement, was arrested two weeks ago en route to the women's World Cup. Mahnaz Mohammadi, 37, a documentary filmmaker, was detained by unidentified officials in June.

The Feminist School - A month ago, Marzieh Vafamehr, an actress and documentary producer was detained and sent to the notorious Gharchak-Varamin prison; a place known as a torture chamber that possesses the bare minimum facilities. Her husband Nasser Taghvaie said that the accusations against his wife are 'legal' (according to Sharia law) and not political.

At the beginning of the 1979 Revolution, the ladies known as the *Zeynab Sisters would wear plastic slippers along with their black chadors (long fabric worn by Iranian women as hijab). The bearded men wear the plastic slippers at the office. The most interesting type of plastic slippers are the ones in the prisons. Prison slippers are different than the ones worn at the office because the prison slippers are mandatory.

A popular Iranian actor and outspoken supporter of the country's opposition movement has been arrested in Tehran after attempting to travel to Germany to take part in coverage of the women's World Cup. Pegah Ahangarani, 27, was scheduled to go to Germany to participate in TV programmes about the Fifa tournament, but was picked up from her home in the capital by security officials on Sunday.

Hollywood stars including Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon are launching a campaign with Amnesty International calling for the release of the acclaimed Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi, who has been sentenced to six years in prison.