Iran’s police said it has formally restored street patrols in a fresh crackdown on women who violate the country’s strict dress laws.
The announcement comes months ahead of the anniversary of deadly protests that erupted in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini was arrested at a subway entrance for allegedly wearing improper clothes.
Police squads will patrol the streets on foot and in cruiser vans across the country as of Sunday to take action against “those who continue to disregard the consequences of deviating from dress norms,” said Saeed Montazerolmahdi, spokesman for Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces, the judiciary’s official Mizan news agency reported.
The so-called morality police vans appeared to have been removed from the streets for months following deadly protests that roiled the country in the wake of Amini’s death. But authorities continued a crackdown on women defying hijab in different ways.
In April, Iran’s police chief said women would have their cars impounded and could face court trials if they were caught by surveillance cameras wearing their head coverings loosely inside their vehicles.
The latest move follows reports that scores of businesses and shopping centers have been ordered to close for failing to comply with Islamic dress codes.
Rights groups say more than 500 people were killed in the protests. Thousands were arrested or severely injured, including hundreds of people who reportedly lost eyes to projectiles fired by security forces.
