And finally… cat o’ nine tails

And finally... cat o' nine tails

An Iranian couple have between them received nine convictions, lashings and prison time for, among other things, having a pet cat.

Niloufar Ghazaleh and Mohammad Ali Moghimi, a married couple living in the Middle Eastern country’s Isfahan province, drew the ire of authorities after breaking mandatory hijab rules, IranWire reports.

Their lawyer, Milad Panahipour, said they complained after police made a disruptive visit to their workplace, leading to additional problems.

Mrs Ghazaleh was sentenced to “74 lashes for insulting a police officer, a fine of 240 million rials for insulting a conscript, 74 lashes for threatening officers, one year in prison and 74 lashes for disturbing public order, and another two years in prison for spreading false information”, he said.

Mr Moghimi was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for “illegal removal of the closure seal” applied to his workplace – and one year for “threatening public health by keeping a cat”.

Just one of the nine convictions was dismissed on appeal.

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