Iran students awarded with 99 lashes for attending co-ed graduation party

Tehran: No one would have ever thought that attending a graduation party could end up students getting a thrashing.

The Qazvin prosecutor, Esmail Sadeghi Niaraki said, more than 30 college students were arrested, interrogated and within 24 hours were each given 99 lashes for attending a graduation party that included men and women, Iran’s judiciary has announced.

Students at the mixed party, which took place in the city of Qazvin some 90 miles northwest of Tehran, were “dancing and jubilating” when authorities arrived on scene after receiving a report from residents about the event.

The women attending the party were also described by the Qazvin prosecutor as being “half naked,” meaning they were not fully covered with long coats and hijabs, which is seen as going against Islam in the conservative country.

Niaraki said,”We hope this will be a lesson for those who break Islamic norms in private places.”

In Iran, mixed-gender parties, dancing and the consumption of alcohol are illegal. However, despite ban they have become common over the past decade, especially in cities.