Iran prosecutor general signals ‘morality police’ suspended - Al Jazeera English

There has been nary authoritative constabulary confirmation connected the forces being taken disconnected the streets, and nary motion that a instrumentality requiring mandatory hijab volition beryllium changed.

Tehran, Iran – Iran has suspended its morality police, the Iranian authoritative wide said arsenic protests successful the state proceed into the 3rd month.

The protests erupted soon aft the decease of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old pistillate who was arrested by a portion of the morality constabulary successful Tehran for allegedly not adhering to the country’s mandatory formal codification for women.

Speaking connected Saturday astatine an lawsuit astir “outlining the hybrid warfare during caller riots”, which is however Iranian officials picture alleged overseas power successful the unrest, Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted arsenic saying by section media that morality constabulary operations are over.

The morality constabulary “has nary transportation with the judiciary and was unopen down by the aforesaid spot that it had been launched from successful the past”, helium said, reportedly answering a question connected wherefore the morality constabulary person been unopen down.

There were nary different confirmations that the enactment of the patrolling units – officially tasked with ensuring “moral security” successful the nine – has been terminated. Montazeri besides did not accidental the morality constabulary person been indefinitely scrapped.

Moreover, determination was nary denotation the instrumentality that imposes the mandatory formal codification volition beryllium terminated.

The forces would thrust around successful achromatic and greenish vans, mostly telling women connected the streets to hole their headscarves oregon taking them to alleged “re-education” centres if deemed required, but the vans person not been seen astir Tehran oregon different cities recently.

It was successful 1 of those centres wherever Amini appeared to endure a changeable arsenic shown by information camera footage the authorities released. She died successful a adjacent infirmary aft being successful a coma for 3 days.

A last study by the coroner’s bureau claimed she died arsenic a effect of pre-existing conditions, but her household said they suspected she was beaten.

Persisting unrest

Women person featured prominently successful the protests that started aft Amini’s death, with her sanction and images wide utilized wrong and extracurricular the country. Women person besides burned their caput coverings and chopped disconnected their hairsbreadth successful displays of protestation and solidarity. “Woman, life, freedom,” has go the rallying outcry for protesters.

Iranian authorities person accused the United States, Israel, European powers and Saudi Arabia of being down the persisting unrest, saying they utilized Amini’s decease arsenic an “excuse” to people the state and its foundations.

The hijab, which has been mandatory since soon aft the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution, has been a cardinal ideological contented for Iranian authorities, who person repeatedly said they volition not backmost down from it.

They have, however, precocious signalled they whitethorn revise the ways successful which the mandatory formal rules are implemented without specifying details.

A fig of section officials antecedently hinted astatine methods specified arsenic utilizing artificial quality oregon camera footage to enforce fiscal penalties connected perceived offenders.

Drivers who are seen to beryllium flouting the hijab rules already person warnings and fines and could yet person their vehicles impounded successful lawsuit of repetition offences.