Release of Seized Vehicles During Government and Religious Occasions; A Lawyer in Iran: 'You Were Wrong' to Seize Them

Continuing the contradictory behavior of Islamic Republic officials regarding compulsory hijab, some citizens say that the seizure of vehicles for 'uncovering hijab' has stopped as elections approach. A lawyer in Iran has also criticized the government's performative actions regarding the seizure and release of vehicles over non-compliance with compulsory hijab. Mohsen Barahani, a lawyer and critical professor who was expelled from the university, stated in an Instagram account that Islamic Republic officials announce on various occasions, such as the mid-Sha'ban or February 11, that vehicles seized due to uncovering hijab will be released. Barahani emphasized: 'If you seized them legally, you are wrong to release them unlawfully, and if you seized them unlawfully, you were wrong to seize them.' Previously, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, spokesperson for the police, announced that on the eve of February 11, the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, vehicles seized under the pretext of uncovering hijab would be released 'for the satisfaction of citizens.' According to some social media users, Islamic Republic officials have eased the strictness of enforcing compulsory hijab for women and girls until the elections on March 2, including the release of vehicles seized for 'uncovering hijab.' One user on social media wrote, 'I went to have my car seized for uncovering hijab, and they said no cars will be seized until the elections. What a circus we are living in.' He emphasized that officials told him, 'Come back after the elections, then we will seize it.' The contradictory behavior of Islamic Republic officials regarding compulsory hijab and the exploitation of women deemed 'badly veiled' by the government during governmental occasions, such as the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, has been criticized before. Also, Hadi Tahan Nazif, spokesperson for the Guardian Council, previously stated regarding the presence of women without compulsory hijab in polling stations that 'the issue of hijab should not create false polarization during elections' and 'the right to vote is not revoked by any law and cannot even be revoked by a court.' Meanwhile, violent confrontations by government forces with women who resist compulsory hijab continue.