Noted actress and filmmaker Marzieh Vafamehr sentenced to brutal punishment for making film about regime's harsh restrictions on artists

An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for working in a film that highlights the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic.

Marzieh Vafamehr's sentence was reported by an Iranian opposition website on Sunday. "A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr, sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes," Kalameh.com reported.

"Her lawyer has appealed the sentence, which was handed down yesterday (Saturday)," the report added, without giving further details.

Vafamehr was arrested in July after appearing in My Tehran for Sale, which came under harsh criticism in conservative circles.

The film, produced in collaboration with Australia, tells the story of a young actress in Tehran whose theatre 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 the movie had not been approved for screening in Iran and was being distributed in the country illegally.

Vafamehr was released in late July after posting unspecified bail.