Iran couple detained for public marriage proposal
Iran couple detained for public marriage proposal
A couple detained earlier this month in Iran after a man proposed marriage to a woman in public has caused a flurry of online criticism of police.
Iranian media say the incident occurred in a business district of the western city of Arak.
Footage posted online shows the man proposing to the woman, and presenting her with a ring. They are then seen embracing each other while onlookers congratulated them.
Police say they have released the couple, but say the two will be tried in court for behavior that runs counter to Islamic values, and for disrupting social order under the influence of what authorities perceive to be decadent Western culture.
Many people protested the police action online, arguing that they have condemned love as a crime, while failing to crack down on actual corruption and theft.
The strict interpretation of Islamic values continues in Iran, with unmarried couples banned from going on dates in parks and other public areas.
But recently, an increasing number of young people in urban areas have begun to seek freedom from such strict rules.
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Source: NHK World
Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights