'CRIME WAVE TEHRAN' HAS SOME SERIOUS CATS IN IT.

CRIME WAVE TEHRAN by Pouria Khojastehpay is hands down one of my favourite crime related photography books you will find out there. This book provides a glimpse behind the curtain of state-censorship and takes a closer look into the world of organized crime in Iran.

A subject considered taboo in Iran and is unheard of amongst many Iranians, since government propaganda makes sure these stories don't air.

From battle scars and tattoos, prayers and blood spilt for gold, the Iranian criminals are united by a life in their underworld against each other and always against the state.

Now I can imagine that most of these guys really mean business, but what really does not seize to impress me is the amount of scars the characters have on their faces and it makes me only imagine the war stories that they have to been through in order to acquire them. It seems that a full time criminal in Iran requires a huge pair of balls and disregard over death.

One of the most imposing and interesting figures is the man who goes by the name the Eagle of Tehran and it seems that he was an Iranian Crime Boss who after a number of assassination attempts the state managed to incarcerate him. Then inmates carried out the attack at the states order.

"The Eagle Of Iran" on his steed

Vahid Moradi had been in prison for murder since late May, but his conflicts with some criminals who worked with security institutions continued and it is not far from the mind that the authorities are trying to victimize some other prisoners instead of finding the real murderers.

Iran Human Rights warns about the situation of these seven prisoners while urging international institutions to react against the use of torture by the judicial authorities. Furthermore, the authorities of Rajai Shahr Prison should take effective measures in order to protect the prisoners knowing the possibility of revenge-driven conflicts.

Overall Pouria does an incredible job to bring you these amazing never seen before footage of the Iranian underworld. Something tells me it wasn't a simple job to get out with all that film, since these people hate the attention and the state basically wants them dead. It is a moment in time in the lives of these hardened criminals and with most of them now dead it is the last photographical account for many for them.

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