An Iranian actress has been sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in a film about the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic

Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested in July 2011 after appearing in "My Tehran for Sale," which came under harsh criticism. The film, produced in collaboration with Australia, tells the story of a young actress in Tehran whose theater work is banned by the authorities. She is then forced to lead a secret life in order to express herself artistically. The Fars news agency said that the movie had not been approved for screening in Iran and was being distributed in the country illegally.