Continued Hourly Seizure of Vehicles for Various Reasons Including 'Non-Compliance with Mandatory Hijab'; 11,000 Vehicles in Six Months

The Deputy Chief of Tehran's Traffic Police stated that in the first six months of the year 1403 (2024), 10,938 vehicles were seized 'hourly' on the highways of Tehran. Firooz Keshir mentioned that 'those whose vehicles are seized in this manner are certainly not reckless drivers.' Vehicles that are seized 'hourly' are typically done so under the pretext of non-compliance with mandatory hijab by the driver or passengers. Initially, a text message is sent to the vehicle owners stating that they did not adhere to the 'hijab and dress code expected by the moral security police' while in public streets. Individuals who receive this message for the second or third time are subject to fines, receive negative points on their driver's license, and their vehicles are seized. A lawyer told the 'Fararu' website that according to the law, a car is considered private property, and entry into it is only permitted with a judicial order. Shima Qosheh stated, 'If we adhere to this interpretation regarding hijab, we must say that seizing a vehicle on the grounds of hijab is illegal.' This lawyer added that some consider the vehicle to be a 'visible space.' Several citizens have reported multiple errors in the sending of messages during the time these laws have been enforced, including that many messages were sent to men. Additionally, the chaos in the process of seizing and releasing vehicles that received warnings for non-compliance with hijab has led to widespread criticism, with many sharing their unpleasant experiences on social media. Some have stated that they were forced to visit the moral security police and sign a commitment letter without proof of a crime, and despite not driving, their vehicles were seized by the police due to 'failure to comply with the commitment.' Now, with the approval of the bill known as 'Chastity and Hijab,' which imposes heavy fines for non-compliance with mandatory hijab, many have expressed concern about the intensification of enforcement. The first clause of this bill, which has not yet been made publicly available in its final version, addresses individuals who 'unveil' in vehicles. For these individuals, an initial warning of vehicle seizure is issued, followed by restrictions on movement and heavy fines. Given the multiple revisions of this bill between the Guardian Council and Parliament and the lack of public access to the final text, the penalties for violations related to non-compliance with mandatory hijab in vehicles remain ambiguous. Furthermore, in addition to vehicle seizures and fines, violent confrontations with citizens due to non-compliance with mandatory hijab in vehicles have also made headlines multiple times. One such incident, which received widespread coverage even in foreign media, involved police officers shooting at the vehicle of a citizen named Arzoo Badri in connection with the mandatory hijab issue, causing serious spinal injuries to this young woman in Noor County, Mazandaran Province. This incident also drew a strong reaction from the United States government, which expressed serious concern over Arzoo's condition and stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran had not learned from the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. The 'Chastity and Hijab' bill has been sent to Parliament; the civil disobedience of women against mandatory dress codes continues. The spokesperson for the judiciary described the reactions to Arzoo Badri's case as 'media manipulation,' stating that 'the issue was not related to hijab.' The Iran Human Rights Campaign stated that the violence of the Islamic Republic against women signifies a 'war' against them. Threatening text messages have been sent to pedestrians to comply with mandatory hijab; lawyers advise women to ignore them. Amnesty International has called on the Islamic Republic to end its 'war against women' in Iran and abolish mandatory hijab.