TEHRAN: Iranian police arrested two young women after publication of a video in which they danced in a Tehran cemetery without adhering to the country’s strict dress code, television channels reported on Friday.

“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” law, a police statement carried by Tasnim news agency said.

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

Under rules imposed after the 1979 revolution, women in Iran 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 police for allegedly violating the dress code. Hundreds of people, includ­ing security personnel, were killed in nationwide protests and thousands of demonstrators were arrested.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025