Police in Iran arrested several soccer players from prominent teams after they attended a mixed-gender party where alcohol was served, according to state media reports. The party in the northern Iranian city of Damavand took place on Saturday night, which was New Year’s Eve, though reports say it was a birthday party. Many of the arrested players – and the reports do not say how many were arrested – were drunk. The Islamic laws followed in Iran prohibit the meeting of men and women outside of marriage and the drinking of alcohol. The detained players reportedly were later released, though a case has been filed against them. The arrests come as Iran is facing ongoing antigovernment protests following the death in September of an Iranian Kurd woman while in the custody of the morality police after being arrested for wearing her hijab improperly. Some of of the country’s athletes have shown support for the protesters including the Iranian national soccer team who at the World Cup did not sing the country’s national anthem nor stand at attention for it.
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