Iranian Police Arrests Parkour Athlete Over “Vulgar” Rooftop Kiss
Oddity Central
An Iranian Parkour athlete and his unidentified lover were arrested last week not of their death-defying antics atop Tehran’s highest buildings, but for an “indecent” rooftop kiss.
Alireza Japalaghy, a popular Iranian parkour athlete, and his girlfriend were accused of performing “vulgar acts” and were taken into custody by police. Their arrest sparked outrage on social media, with many accusing police of taking swift action against a kissing couple, while real criminals are simply ignored. Despite facing criticism for their strict laws, Iranian authorities said that the couple’s unconventional acts went against Sharia law and needed to be dealt with.
“This individual has been arrested by Tehran’s cyber police,” Tehran’s police chief Hossein Rahimi said. “We are against this individual and his companion’s norm-breaking and vulgar behavior and the police and the judiciary will certainly deal with them.”
“Images of a young boy and girl who exhibited improper and unreligious behavior were published on social media. These people were arrested by the police with the judiciary officials’ command, because what they did was a sample of ‘advocating vice,'” a police statement reported by Tasnim News Agency reads.
Before his arrest, Japalaghy posted a video on his Instagram account in which he spoke about suspicious phone calls from the police telling him to turn himself in at a station, to avoid causing a scene by making them come pick him up from his home. The next day, the parkour athlete’s brother posted that Alireza had been arrested.
Alireza Japalaghy had started posting photos and videos of him and a mysterious woman dressed in revealing clothes kissing and hugging in precarious settings, which apparently didn’t sit too well with Iran’s conservative officials. According to the country’s Islamic dress code, women can only show their face, hands and feet in public, and must wear modest colors.
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Originally Posted by lost in melb.
