Violent arrests seen in Iran as 'morality patrols' resume in nationwide crackdown

Alijani Ershad
·2 min read

A year and a half after the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, police in Iran have resumed “morality patrols” to crack down on women violating the Islamic Republic’s strict hijab rules. Patrols consisting of uniformed male officers and female officers in black chadors have been seen in the capital Tehran and other cities, along with the notorious white vans used to transport arrested women to police stations. The FRANCE 24 Observers spoke to one woman arrested in Tehran shortly after the crackdown was announced on April 11.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has made pointed remarks about hijab in two recent speeches. On April 3, he said: “Hijab is a Sharia-based obligation that must not be abrogated [...] Hijab is also a legal obligation, and everyone must respect the law.” A week later, on April 10, he repeated in another speech: “We do not want to impose religion on anyone, but we will fight non-conformism”.

These speeches were apparently the cue for Ahmad-Reza Radan, the Islamic Republic's national police chief. A former military officer known for years for his brutal imposition of hijab rules, Radan announced in a press release on April 11 that police would crack down on women without a hijab. “Women must wear a hijab as it should be worn, otherwise the police will confront them according to the hijab law,” he said, adding that the crackdown would begin April 13. His office issued a statement on April 14 saying that hijab patrols had started nationwide.


Read more on The Observers - France 24

Read also:
Proposed hijab penalties in Iran: 'They can’t prosecute millions of women'
Iranian art school students beaten and arrested for defying headscarf rules
'I’m a bitch too': Women in Iran launch hashtag against harassment by mullahs

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