Struggles deepen for Iranian women as regime announces new hijab campaign

Iran has unveiled a new hijab campaign as the infamous morality police returned to the streets 10 months after the mysterious death of Mahsa Amini that triggered fierce nationwide protests and international condemnation.

Police spokesperson General Saeed Montazerolmahdi on Sunday said the morality police would resume informing and then arresting women caught not wearing the headscarf – considered mandatory under Iran’s strict dress code – in public.

Men and women from the morality police could again be seen carrying out their controversial patrols in the capital Tehran to ensure women obey regulations. They had largely pulled back following the death of Amini in their custody last September.

Government Blames Outrage On Foreign Conspiracy

Amini’s demise triggered mass protests calling for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers, often accused by the younger generation of being corrupt and out of touch. The government, however, blamed the massive outrage on a foreign conspiracy, without offering any evidence.

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Authorities initially struggled to contain the violent demonstrations, which largely died down earlier in 2023 following a brutal crackdown that saw at least 500 protesters getting killed and some 20,000 detained, according to rights organisations.

Morality police have returned to the streets now, after some reports in December – later denied – suggested they had been disbanded. Several women choose not to follow the strict regulations, but authorities insisted throughout the tensions that the dress code had not updated.

Actor Arrested For Encouraging Iranians To Use Weapons Against Police

A number of prominent celebrities from Iran’s celebrated film industry joined the demonstrations. Many actresses were arrested after being seen expressing support for the protests or appearing in public without the headscarf.

In a recent case, police arrested Mohammed Sadeghi on Saturday in a raid on his house. The young and relatively unknown actor had earlier posted a video in response to another video showing the morality police detaining a woman.

“Believe me, if I see such a scene, I might commit murder,” he said. Hamshahri daily – affiliated with the Tehran municipality – said Sadeghi was taken into custody for encouraging Iranians to use weapons against the police.