I know cats aren't everyone's cup of tea, but prison time for owning a feline? Only in the dystopia of Iran!

Keeping a cat is actually just one of the charges for which this Iranian couple in the Isfahan province has been sentenced to prison by the Islamic Republic's authorities.

Niloufar Ghazaleh and Mohammad Ali Moghimi's legal troubles started over a year ago when Ghazaleh was stopped for mandatory hijab enforcement.

According to Shargh newspaper, things took a bizarre turn after police showed up at their workplace. Their lawyer, Milad Panahipour, explained that on October 4, 2023, police paid the couple a little visit at their workplace, which happens to be a recreational residence. Apparently, things got heated over an entry permit and some ID cards.

The very next day, the couple actually filed a petition with local residents backing them up, criticizing the police for their actions.

But instead of a "Thanks for your feedback," they got slapped with a defamation case and their business got closed for good measure.

(You can't criticize the government in a dictatorship.)

Oh, you thought it just ended there?

On top of that, Ghazaleh received

• 74 lashes for "insulting" a police officer

• A fine of 240 million rials ($400) 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"

Civil penalties for "misinformation" ... sounds familiar!

(We haven't even gotten to the pet cat yet.)

Her husband, Moghimi? Well, the poor guy gets two years in prison for the heinous crime of... "illegal removal of the closure seal." And, drumroll, please — one more year for "threatening public health by keeping a cat."

That's right, their furry friend apparently posed such a menace to society that it warranted extra jail time.

Despite their lawyer's best efforts, the appeals court only dropped one of the nine charges. Ghazaleh's looking at a year behind bars while her husband faces two years.

At least the cat seems to be roaming free for now...

This entire saga, including the extreme and unjust punishments, all began last year when police stopped Ghazaleh for not correctly covering her hair while she was driving. What a nightmare.

You really can't make this stuff up.

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