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Tehran (DPA) - Tattooed people will have to pass a psychological test in Iran before they can apply for a driver's license.

"The tattoo is a type of self-harm and people who do that may suffer from mental disorders," said a police spokesman for the state news agency IRNA. Only after a successful test may the driver's license be applied for.

Tattoos were previously classified in the Islamic Republic as "signs of Western cultural invasion" that endangered Islamic values. Now they are also considered a mental illness. Nevertheless, tattoos are becoming increasingly popular among young people in Iran - to the detriment of the authorities and the moral police.

A well-known example is the case of the captain of the Iranian national team, Ashkan Dejagah: Three years ago, the ethics committee of the Iranian Football Association wanted to suspend him because of his tattoos. This did not happen, but since then the German-Iranian always plays in long-sleeved jerseys.