Iran arrests two young women for dancing in cemetery — report

Iranian police arrested two young women after the publication of a video in which they danced in a Tehran cemetery without adhering to the country’s strict dress code, local media reports.

“Not long ago, two people, in the cemetery of martyrs in Tehran, disregarding the sacred site, recorded a video clip with inappropriate clothing and movements that were outside of custom and Sharia” Islamic law, a police statement carried by Tasnim news agency says.

The move “caused strong public protests, especially from the families of the martyrs and the two were arrested by the police and handed over to judicial authorities,” the statement adds.

Under rules imposed after the 1979 Islamic revolution, women must cover their hair and neck and wear loose-fitting clothes in public. They are also not allowed to dance in public places.

But many women have pushed the boundaries by allowing their head coverings to slide back and reveal more hair, especially in Tehran and other major cities.

The trend has been more evident, especially since protests erupted following Mahsa Amini’s death in custody in September 2022. She had been arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the dress code.

Hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, were killed in the subsequent months-long nationwide protests and thousands of demonstrators were arrested.