Detention of Protesters Against Hijab Status for Several Hours in Front of Judiciary

A judiciary official reported that some individuals protested the status of 'hijab' in society, stating that these individuals created disturbances for citizens who did not comply with the mandatory hijab by 'chanting slogans' and 'blocking sidewalks.' According to Iranian media, this protest was accompanied by disturbances for citizens who did not adhere to the mandatory hijab, ultimately leading to the detention of some of them. The website 'Asr Iran' reported that the number of supporters of mandatory hijab at this gathering was about 30, including several clerics, women, and children. This group had been staging a sit-in in front of the Judiciary building since Thursday, blocking streets and alleys with placards and handwritten signs against the hijab situation in society. The Director General of Public Relations of the Judiciary stated that they created 'disturbances for the public,' and multiple discussions with various officials, including some from the Special Clerical Court and the Tehran Prosecutor's Office, were ineffective as they continued to 'create disturbances' despite warnings. According to Ali Asghar Rafahi, these individuals did not pay any attention to various proposals for negotiation and dialogue. Ruhollah Momen Nasab, the Secretary of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Tehran, who was present among the protesters on Tuesday, stated: 'A harsh law enforcement response to the sit-in was not appropriate and was provocative. Our request from the relevant authorities who made this mistake is to release these individuals and apologize.' Nevertheless, in the early hours of Tuesday, the Judiciary issued a statement announcing that all detainees from this gathering had been released after a few hours, stating that 'no one is in detention.' The protests by groups supporting mandatory hijab, described by some as 'fire at will,' have intensified following the submission of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill to the parliament. Some political activists consider these movements to be organized and purposeful. The publication of the text of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill in the media faced strong reactions from 'principlists' who criticized the 'lack of severity' in responses, while citizens and experts viewed this bill as contradictory to individual freedoms. The Fars News Agency, affiliated with security institutions, also initiated a poll titled 'The Chastity and Hijab Bill is Designed for the Benefit of the Unveiled' and called on the public to join a 'campaign' against this bill. However, these protests, along with media close to security institutions and the activities of 'fire at will' groups, have not prevented many citizens from continuing their civil resistance by appearing in public without hijab. This trend has led the editorial board of the Washington Post to publish an article on Friday, July 7, regarding the ongoing protests against mandatory hijab in Iran, stating that the 'regime' of the Islamic Republic has been unable to quell the 'uprising' of protesters despite extensive efforts. The article begins with the order from officials at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran for female students to wear headscarves, the students' anger over this action, and the violent response to a female student opposing this order. It further mentions the presence of women and students at the forefront of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement aimed at gaining more freedoms from the 'suffocating Islamist theocracy.' The suspension of 40 female students from Tehran's Art University for refusing to wear headscarves and their sit-in protest against this action is cited as an example of 'resistance' by Iranian women and students against the Islamic Republic. The article also highlights the support of dozens of other student groups, including students from K.N. Toosi University, for the protesting students from the Art University, stating: 'The Islamic theocracy of Iran will not surrender.'