Iranian police resumed patrols on Sunday to catch a growing number of women covering their hair in public in violation of a strict dress code, state media reported.
The report comes exactly 10 months after September 16 Death in custody of Mahsa Amini22, triggered Nationwide protests Moral police were seen disappearing from the streets and more and more women were breaking the law.
Morality police arrested Amini, who is of Iranian-Kurdish descent, for violating the dress code requiring women to cover their heads and necks in public.
When the morality police retreated, the authorities took other steps to enforce the law. These include closing down establishments of non-compliant employees and installing cameras in public areas to detect violators.
But state media said the traditional approach was being tested again from Sunday.
“The police will start car and foot patrols to warn those who disobey police orders and ignore the consequences of dressing against the norms, take legal action and refer them to the judiciary,” the official said. IRNA The news agency reported citing police spokesman Saeed Montazer Almehdi.
Online images show female police officers wearing all-black chadors scolding and arresting women whose heads are covered.
AFP The authenticity of the images could not be independently verified.
This style of dress has been around since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Offenders may be fined or imprisoned for up to two months.
But Iran’s reformist newspaper Shargh The four women received additional punishments, including attending “psychological classes” and being banned from driving, it was reported on Sunday.
Thousands of Iranians have been arrested during months of protests that Tehran has generally labeled foreign-instigated “riots.” Hundreds were killed including dozens of security personnel.
Iran’s conservatives, who dominate the country’s parliament and leadership, have Resisted with enthusiasm dress code But with many Iranians calling for change, in May the judiciary and government proposed a “support for the culture of hijab and chastity” bill, sparking heated debate within the country.
The text proposes fines for “any person who removes their veil in public places or on the Internet,” but withdraws the threat of jail time.
There is “no consensus on the hijab” in Iran’s leadership, with some favoring repression while others “believe other means should be tried”, sociologist Abbas Abdi said.
The United States, Britain, and the European Union have imposed several sanctions on Iran over its response to the protests.