Kids In 40c Tehran Arrested For Cooling Off With Fun Water Fight.

RFL reports: They weren't chanting opposition slogans or protesting against the government, but they were having a good time in public, which can be seen to challenge state-enforced codes of conduct. Their photos were shared on websites, blogs, and social media. Many praised them for their creativity, for managing to organize the event, and also for having fun, which is not always easy in Iran. Not everyone was happy, though. Conservative websites used the "incriminating" photos to accuse the young people of immorality and corruption.

The Guardian reports: The head of Tehran's morality police, Ahmad Roozbehani said: "A mixed-gender event took place on Friday ... They had been asked to bring water pistol toys, which most of them had in hand ... they acted against social norms."

The always-reliable Potkin Azarmehr points out: All this is happening at a time, when the crime rate is soaring throughout Iran. Police are unable to deal with numerous knife fights and stabbings which have also included lethal attacks on several Iranian celebrities in recent weeks. Some of the knife attacks have taken place in front of the police which have simply looked on without daring to interfere. There is also an alarming increase in gang rapes of women, like the one which happened during a private birthday party in Khomeini-Shahr, where armed gangs which included members of the local Baseej stormed into the party, locked up the men and raped the women which included a pregnant mother. Police took several hours to turn up for the rescue and the official reaction of the local Friday prayer leader was to put portion of the blame on the women who were raped, because they had "provoked the peeping local youth by dancing in their own property without observing the proper hejab!".

Potkin updates here. More "incriminating" photos here.

MARG BAR DIKTATOR.