Celebrities have traditionally played an important role in Iran’s political sphere, calling on their supporters to vote for their favored candidates. But things are changing. In the latest presidential elections on June 18, celebrities went quiet.
This influential group of athletes, actors, singers and other artists began to play a central role in politics in the controversial 2009 elections, when many artists and social groups came out in support of candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi to prevent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from being reelected. They also played an active role during the post-election protests, urging people to continue protesting against the government, sparking anger among the Iranian security apparatus.
