Iranian actress Leila Hatami, has issued a public apology for kissing Cannes president, blaming the 83 year-old man, while Iranian students petition for her to be flogged and imprisoned in accordance to Islamic law.

Iran, a fundamentalist Muslim state, bans unrelated men and women from kissing or touching in public, a law known as article 638, which has been in force since the Islamic law was established in 1979.

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A law which famed actress Hatami, best known to western audiences for Oscar-winner A Separation, reportedly broke on Wednesday by kissing Cannes president Gilles Jacob, 83, on the cheek.

Members of the Hizbullah Students group, many of them female, have since been calling for Hatami's public punishment by flogging and imprisonment in a formal petition.

Hatami has now publicly apologized for her actions by blaming Jacob for forgetting "proper behavior in greeting her", going on to say she was embarrassed to have to explain herself and that she saw Jacob as a grandfather figure and her host.

The petition by the university student group, known to be affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard of Iran, states that the undersigned urge the judiciary members to prosecute Hatami in accordance to article 638.

They list the reasons as "her sinful act of kissing a strange man in public" and her actions as being detrimental to the religious sentiments of the nation.

As such, they strongly advise the cultural and media branch of the local judiciary to enforce punishment by flogging, as stipulated by Iranian law.

Official authorities have declined to make a ruling in the matter as of yet, but Deputy Culture Minister Hossein Noushabadi alluded to the incident in a public statement saying that Iranian women must be a symbol of chastity and innocence to the outside world, lest a bad image be demonstrated.

Noushabadi went on to state that if the strict Islamic customs are not respected by Iranian celebrities going abroad, they will not be permitted to do so.

It remains unclear if Hatami will indeed be imprisoned and flogged, but given the strict judicial system of the fundamentalist regime, it is considered a distinct possibility.

The incident took place as Hatami was greeting Jacob on the red carpet during the premiere of Nicole Kidman-starred Grace of Monaco on May 14, also the opening night of the film festival, of which Hatami was a member of the jury. The act was described as a customary French greeting.

Photographs of the incident were quickly spread throughout Iranian media and Hatami was met with harsh criticism.

Hatami is considered one of the most notable celebrities and actresses in Iran.

Born in 1972, Leila Hatami is the daughter of popular director Ali Hatami, and has been acting professionally in films since she was 24 years old. She has consistently garnered rave reviews and widespread international acclaim throughout her career, with multiple awards including Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival.

She has been married to fellow actor Ali Mosaffa since 1999, with whom she has two children.

TagsIran, Leila Hatami, A Separation, Cannes Film Festival, Kiss, Scandal, Islam, Sharia, Flogging, Revolutionary Guard, Hizbullah, Fundamentalist, Actress