Iran’s state media reports indicate that the Islamic republic’s notorious morality police have resumed patrols to ensure women obey dress codes and cover their hair in public.
This comes 10 months after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody following her arrest in Tehran for allegedly breaking the dress code. Her death triggered massive national protests and the patrols were paused.
According to the BBC, however, state media reports indicate that the patrols have resumed, as demanded by Islamic hardliners.
Under Iranian law, which is based on the country’s interpretation of Sharia, women must cover their hair with a hijab (headscarf) and wear long, loose-fitting clothing to disguise their figures.
The BBC says that the morality police unit is tasked with ensuring that these rules are respected, and detaining people perceived to be ‘improperly’ dressed.
Police spokesman Saeed Montazerolmahdi is quoted by hardline Tasnim news agency as saying that, during the patrols, officers will first warn women who are not complying with the rules, but may opt for ‘legal action’ should the women disobey.
The death of Amini while in custody last year enraged millions of Iranians, triggering months of violent anti-government protests across the country in which nearly 600 protesters were killed. The deaths included several state executions.
The BBC reports that, in the months following the protests, many women stopped wearing hijabs altogether in which has been considered the biggest outright challenge to the rule of the clerics in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
[Image: Вадим Гайсин from Pixabay]