Iran appears to be shutting down its “morality police” amid violent protests sweeping the nation since the death of a woman who was forcibly detained after being accused of violating the theocratic government’s strict Islamic dress code.
Speaking Sunday at a religious conference, Iran’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, said that Jesht Ershad “has nothing to do with the judiciary and has been closed.” “Jesht al-Irshad” newspaper informed the Iranian Ministry of Interior.
Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody on September 16 after being accused of breaking a 1983 law requiring women to wear the veil. Outrage ensued and more and more women stopped wearing the veil.
On Sunday, the Interior Ministry said that more than 200 people, including security personnel and civilians, had been killed in the protests. Damages were estimated at $40 million. Human rights activists in IranA group that monitors the demonstrations says 470 protesters and 61 security personnel have died – 18,000 people have been arrested, and at least seven have been sentenced to death.
“The administration and parliament insisted that paying attention to the people’s demands, which are mainly economic, is the best way to achieve stability and confront riots,” MP Nizamuddin Mousavi said on Sunday after a meeting of high-ranking Iranian officials.
On Saturday, Montazeri said the headscarf law would be reviewed and recommendations could come in a week or two. President Ebrahim Raisi, who called for the crackdown on the headscarf law in July, has also shown signs of backing down.
“There are ways to implement the constitution that can be flexible,” he said.
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The morality police was established in 2005 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardliner who sought to “spread a culture of modesty and veiling”. Women are also required to cover their bodies with long, loose clothing.
Uprisings spread to dozens of cities, and the government blocked internet access across the country. Mass arrests of students, journalists, activists, artists, sports figures and celebrities who voiced grievances against Iran’s hardline government have become almost daily occurrences.
The issue spread to the ongoing World Cup in Qatar when the Iranian national team players refused to sing the national anthem in their first match against England. The team later lost to the US team, and many Iranians took to the streets to celebrate because the team was seen as close to the regime. The Iranian Human Rights Documentation Center reported.
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