TEHRAN — Fatemeh Khishvand, known as Sahar Tabar on Instagram, went viral a few years ago for her extremely photoshopped images.
Now it appears she is battling coronavirus in prison.
Khishvand made headlines a few years ago after her overly photoshopped photos that made her look like a zombie version of Angelina Jolie went viral.
In October of last year she was arrested by Iranian authorities after she went viral and accused of a list of "offenses," which included blasphemy, insulting the Islamic veil, and encouraging youth to commit corruption.
Her lawyer Payam Derafshan is now asking for clemency as it appears that Khishvand may have contracted coronavirus while detained.
Derafshan wrote an open letter to Ebrahim Reisei, the head of Iran's judiciary, explaining that the young woman had been placed in quarantine after displaying symptoms of the virus.
But if you ask Iranian authorities, all this is pure make-believe.
The head of Shahr-e Rey women's prison told Iran's ISNA news agency that, "The news released by the lawyer of Fatemeh Khishvand is not true and I deny it." But Khishvand's lawyer is not backing down.
Derafshan is now after judge Mohammad Moghiseh of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, who has repeatedly ignored pleas from the lawyer to grant Khishvand bail.
Unsurprisingly, after the coronavirus struck Iran judge Moghiseh has been MIA in the courthouse.
Important side note: According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, Moghiseh has previously sentenced dissidents, minorities and even activists to long prison sentences.
Khishvand's situation seems to be dire.
Derafshan told the Center for Human Rights in Iran that Khishvand is currently on a ventilator at Sina Hospital in Tehran.