The Islamic Republic’s morality police have been reported to be involved in a new crackdown on women in the country who refuse to wear the mandated hijab in public places.
The new interest comes as the regime’s national police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, announced in an April 11th press release that more attention would be paid to public dress standards.
Social media images of the new efforts have shown violent arrests by both male and female officers, including the use of Tasers to force compliance.
One new tactic appears to be the deployment of plainclothes officers near the confrontation sites to prevent bystanders from interfering with any of the investigations.
On April 15, Iranian journalist Diana Ghalibaf posted on X that she had been arrested for a hijab violation and was later returned to jail for her subsequent publicizing of the event.
One anonymous student alleged to France 24 that she was a victim of a sexual assault during her recent arrest in Tehran.
Officials had relaxed some of the clothing regulations as a response to the nationwide protests that occurred because of the 2022 in-custody death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly.
On April 3, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reiterated his support for the coverings when he stated that “Hijab is a Sharia-based obligation that must not be abrogated. Hijab is also a legal obligation, and everyone must respect the law.”
Related Story: Mahsa Amini: 1 Year Anniversary
