Continued Defiance Against Mandatory Hijab in Iran; Ejei: 'Visible Crime'

As the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches, threats from senior judicial officials in the Islamic Republic against women have increased alongside ongoing civil disobedience against mandatory hijab. In his latest remarks, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, head of the judiciary, referred to the violation of mandatory hijab as a 'social anomaly' and a 'crime,' while his deputy warned those who were recently pardoned to be cautious of 'plots.' Despite some legal experts deeming the Islamic Republic's police and judicial actions against citizens for not adhering to the mandatory hijab as illegal, Ejei stated on Thursday, September 2, that 'there is law in this regard' and labeled 'unveiling' as a 'visible crime.' In a gathering of prosecutors from across Iran, Ejei described the violation of mandatory hijab as 'social anomalies and the crime of unveiling,' adding that 'the quality of dealing with visible crimes' is specified in the law and that officials are 'obliged to deal with visible crimes.' These statements from the highest judicial authority come as some experts and legal scholars have noted that new policies against civil disobedience regarding mandatory hijab could significantly increase the 'potential for urban violence in Iran.' Ejei called for the use of 'existing law' in dealing with women's civil disobedience against mandatory hijab until the 'Hijab and Chastity Bill' becomes law, referring to directives he claims have been given to 'relevant sections and organizations' in the form of 'recommendations and necessary instructions.' Additionally, on August 9, in a veiled response to the sexual corruption of some Islamic Republic officials, he described it as 'enemy distractions' to 'divert attention from addressing main and priority issues' and stated, 'We must solve problems within the family.' Furthermore, Sadegh Rahimi, the judiciary's deputy, on Thursday, September 2, threatened those arrested during last year's nationwide protests who were released under 'pardon,' warning them to be cautious of what he termed 'new enemy plots.' Rahimi claimed that 'the enemy is eager to create mischief again within the country.' Previously, Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests as the 'strongest, most dangerous, and serious' struggle against the Islamic Republic on a 'global' scale and warned of a repeat of such protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. Despite the threatening rhetoric from Islamic Republic officials, citizen accounts on social media indicate that civil disobedience against mandatory hijab continues. Recently, reports emerged of women dancing without mandatory hijab at a Luri concert in Tehran, leading the judiciary to summon Jawad Heydari, a journalist who covered the event. Concurrently, as pressures on women in Iran to enforce mandatory hijab increase and reports of citizens' vehicles being confiscated arise, Mohsen Barahani, a legal expert, deemed the actions of law enforcement officials as 'illegal without judicial orders' and advised the public not to hand over 'either their car or its keys' to officials. Previously, John Kirby, the National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator at the White House, stated that 'after Mahsa Amini's death and the popular protests, the people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves and women should choose their own attire.' Additionally, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, responded to a question from a Voice of America Persian journalist, stating that the Islamic Republic has not learned from recent protests.