Iranian Parkour athlete arrested over a rooftop kiss

Alireza Japalaghy, a popular Iranian parkour athlete and his stunt accomplice have been arrested by Tehran's cyber police for "vulgar acts" after a photo of the pair kissing on rooftops was posted on social media.

Tehran police said their "unconventional moves, which were contrary to custom and Sharia" law led to their arrest, which has prompted other social media users to criticise Iran's strict laws.

Other users pointed out Alireza Japalaghy had published similar photos in the past, but was arrested only after a post in which he questioned the disappearance of his father, a police officer at the anti-narcotics department, and the authorities' failure to investigate the case.

22 May 2020