Iran Abolishes Morality Police And Mulls Changes To Mandatory Hijab Law Amid Ongoing Anti-Government Protests

Topline

Iranian authorities have abolished the country’s morality police—which would penalize women in public for not adhering to the country’s stringent dress code—after months of anti-government protests across the country which were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained and beaten by the controversial police force.

Key Facts

The move was announced by Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri who said the morality police has “nothing to do with the judiciary” and will therefore be abolished, AFP reported on Sunday, citing local media reports.

Montazeri’s remark was made during a religious event and was in response to a participant asking about the status of the morality police.

The controversial police force and its top officials have been hit with a bevy of sanctions by several countries including the U.S., U.K., Canada and the EU.

The Iranian media, citing Montazeri, reported on Saturday that the country’s government was reviewing its laws governing dress codes for women—which requires them to cover their heads with a hijab and wear loose-fitting clothes that cover their arms and legs.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi also alluded to potential reforms in a televised address on Saturday where he reiterated the link between Iran’s Islamic and republican foundations but added that “there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible.”

What To Watch For

The announcement is likely an effort by the Iranian government to quell protests which have rocked the country since September. But it is unclear if the protestors will see this as an adequate concession by the government which has continued to brutally crackdown on public dissent. While the protests initially began as anti-hijab demonstrations, they have gradually morphed into a broader pushback against the country’s orthodox Islamic regime with many even calling for the ouster of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

News Peg

Despite offering to make changes to its harsh dress code laws, the Iranian government has continued to brutally crackdown on all protests across the country. At least 470 protestors have been killed by the crackdown as of Sunday, according to the U.S.-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran. At least 64 children are among the total number of people killed, the report adds. In a statement issued on Friday, Javaid Rehman, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Iran said more than 14,000 people have been arrested since September 16, “including human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, students, civil and minority rights activists, intellectuals and artistes.”

Key Background

The ongoing protests across Iran were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, in September. On September 13, Amini—who was visiting Tehran—was arrested by the morality police for an alleged violation of the country’s restrictive dress code for women. Following her arrest, Amini was allegedly “beaten on the head with a baton” and had her head “banged against” the side of the police force’s vehicle, the UN Human Rights Office said. Amini then fell into a coma and eventually died in the hospital on September 16, triggering a wave of nationwide anger.

Further Reading

Protest-hit Iran says reviewing mandatory headscarf law (France 24)