Iran creates new service to control wearing of hijab

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Hassan Hasanzadeh, announced the creation of a new law enforcement structure to enforce a strict dress code for women.

Employees of this service, according to one of the leaders of the IRGC, have undergone special training in order to further ensure, in particular, that women wear the hijab in public places “in a more responsible manner.”

The announcement follows reports that Iranian authorities have stepped up morality checks in recent days, during which images emerged of raids showing men mistreating women, RFE/RL’s Iranian service reported. Radio Farda.

Following the death in custody in Iran in September 2022 of student Mahsa Amini, who was detained by morality police for improperly wearing a hijab, massive street protests began in the country. The protests continued for several months and became one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s conservative leadership in decades. Hundreds of people died in clashes, thousands were arrested, and several protesters were executed.

Some relatively moderate Iranian lawmakers have questioned the need for a tougher regime under current circumstances, including given tensions over military confrontation in the region. However, the leadership of the Iranian Ministry of Internal Affairs supported the new measures and recent raids to comply with the dress code, emphasizing that all this is being done “within the law.”