Tehran, Iran As protests in the nation continue into their third month, Iran’s prosecutor general announced that the morality police had been halted.
The protests started soon after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was killed. Mahsa was detained by Tehran’s morality police unit for allegedly breaking the nation’s laws regarding women’s apparel.
Iran’s chief prosecutor indicates the suspension of the “morality police”
Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted by local media as claiming that morality police activities are over while speaking on Saturday at an event about “outlining the hybrid war amid recent protests,” as Iranian officials refer to purported foreign influence in the turmoil.
He reportedly responded to a query about the closure of the morality police by saying that it “had no link with the courts and was shut down by the same location that it had been launched from in the past.”
There were no more indications that the patrolling teams’ work, which was formally charged with maintaining “moral security” in the society, had come to an end. Additionally, Montazeri did not claim that the morality police had been permanently abolished.
Furthermore, there was no sign that the law enforcing the required attire would be changed.
The forces would drive around in white and green vans, usually asking women on the street to repair their headscarves or transporting them to purported “re-education” centres if necessary, although the vans have not been spotted recently in Tehran or other cities.
According to surveillance camera footage the authorities published, Amini seemed to have a stroke in one of those centres. After three days in a coma, she passed away in a nearby hospital.
Her family asserted that they believed she was beaten, despite the coroner’s office’s final report claiming that she died as a result of pre-existing ailments.
Women have played a significant role in the protests that have been ongoing since Amini’s passing, and her name and likeness have been extensively publicised both domestically and abroad. In acts of protest and solidarity, women have also burned their hats and cut off their hair. Woman, life, freedom has emerged as the demonstrators’ catchphrase.
The United States, Israel, European nations, Saudi Arabia, and other countries have been blamed by Iranian authorities for the ongoing turmoil, claiming they used Amini’s death as a “excuse” to harm the nation and its institutions.
The hijab has been a fundamental ideological issue for Iranian officials, who have frequently stated they will not budge from it. It has been required since shortly after the nation’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
However, they have recently given vague indications that they might change how the mandated dress code is applied.
A number of municipal leaders have already made suggestions on how to penalise alleged criminals financially, including the use of artificial intelligence or video evidence.
Drivers who are observed breaking the hijab laws already face warnings and fines, and repeat offenders risk having their cars seized.
