Men turn tables on regime by donning headscarves and dresses

Hundreds of pictures of men in women's clothing have been posted online by Iranian opposition supporters in mockery of what they say is a crude attempt by the authorities to humiliate and discredit a reformist student leader by photographing him in a head scarf and chador.

The student, Majid Tavakoli, was arrested after he gave a speech urging fellow students at Amir Kabir university to reject "tyranny," in protests which swept the country last week. Iranian state media released photographs of Mr Tavakoli wearing a black chador, and a blue scarf around his unshaven face.

A statement claimed that he had dressed up in the all-encompassing chador, the dress favoured by the most devout Iranian women, to escape his campus after the speech but was caught by security forces.

In revenge, opposition groups flooded websites including Facebook with pictures of men wearing headscarves and chadors.

Men taking part in the "Be a Man" web campaign draped their heads with colourful scarves in hundreds of mocking self-portraits. Some were bearded, others smiled for the camera, while some covered their mouths. Many wore green, the adopted colour of the opposition and flashed "V for victory" signs.