“Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” they said in a statement sent to AFP. Satrapi’s husband, a Swedish producer, actor and screenwriter, died on April 8 last year. A series of recent posts on Satrapi’s Instagram page spelt out the message “For I Lost the love of my life”. Satrapi, an outspoken critic of Iran’s theocratic government, arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006. Read more'Persepolis' author refuses French award over Iran 'hypocrisy' Her work "Persopolis" recounts the story of Satrapi’s early life in Tehran, struggling under the restrictions imposed by Iran’s Islamic leadership after the 1979 revolution before being sent to Europe by her parents to begin a life in exile. Last year, she refused the French legion d’honneur award over the country’s “hypocrisy” in its dealings with Iran, citing French visa policies that prevented dissidents leaving Iran for the European country. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)