Iranian Courts Announce Arrest Of 241 People For "Depraved Parties"
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's judiciary said Saturday 241 people, including two embassy employees and two women, have been arrested over the past few days in Tehran for "depraved parties".
In a statement broadcast on local radio, the justice department of the Tehran province said "several foreign investors, two employees from two embassies in Iran and two European women were among those arrested."
No details were given as to the identity of those arrested, nor to the place the arrests were made. The report simply said those arrested had taken part in "depraved parties."
Iranian press reports January 3rd said police had arrested 262 people, including Arab diplomats, a British man and an Indian, as they were celebrating the New Year overnight Sunday to Monday.
The police broke up a party in a villa in a residential area in the north of Tehran and arrested 262 people, including more than 100 young women celebrating the New Year. However, Saturday's statement did not say whether these arrests related to the same occasion.
An interior ministry spokesman quoted earlier by the press confirmed the figure of 262 arrests, saying the people had a "revolting appearance", meaning they were dressed in western style, not wearing Islamic veils.
The spokesman said "no ambassador" was among those arrested, but one embassy employee and a servant from another Arab embassy were among those detained.
