Irani Vice: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

From YNet:

Iranian police have decided to crack down on "inappropriate behavior of couples in public", the semi-official FARS new agency reported Sunday.

"If someone walks in the street with his partner and commits an offense, we will deal with it," Ahmad Ruzbahani, chief of the morality police, was quoted as saying.

Iranian law forbids women to be seen in public with men who are not family members. However, not all Iranians comply, and many meet their significant others in public parks.

Now police have decided to put an end to the growing phenomenon and forbid couples to hold hands in public. Ruzbahani said married couples were also called upon to "act modestly" in public.

"They should not act in an inappropriate manner or in a way that will attract attention," he said.

Other police officials said kissing in public was also strictly forbidden.

Last week it was reported that a young woman committed suicide after being arrested for a "moral offense". Zuhara Bani, a 27-year-old med student, was caught in a public park with her boyfriend.

She was taken to a detention facility, where she hung herself 48 hours later with a piece of cloth she had found.

Which means, of course, that she was in jail for over 48 hours for her "crime."

Interestingly, a Google News search for Zuhara Bani comes up empty before today.

UPDATE: Ruth points out that Iranian blogger Kamangir has been following the story - the girl was a medical student, she spoke with her parents and seemed OK right before her "suicide," and her boyfriend was going to be released, possibly because he had connections.

MEMRI translates an article about her as well.

But still nothing in the English-language MSM before today.