Return of Morality Police with On-Duty Judge; A Lawyer: Reminiscent of 'Field Courts'

The announcement of the return of the 'Morality Police' to the streets and conflicting statements regarding its details have sparked widespread reactions on social media. Following the announcement of the return of the 'Morality Police' or 'Guidance Patrol' to the streets, the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported on Monday, July 17, citing the spokesperson of the police, that this was 'a concept that the audience derived from this news' and 'the vans of the Morality Police will not return to the streets at all, and no vehicle with the Morality Police's side writing will be seen on the streets.' According to this report, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi stated that mounted and foot patrols of the police, alongside 'all previous missions,' will give 'verbal warnings' if they see 'improper clothing.' He added that 'the teams assigned for this task have judicial authorization' and that 'in some vehicles, an on-duty judge may accompany the police officers.' Shima Qosheh, a lawyer, told the Iran Watch website that these statements, if implemented, are 'reminiscent of field courts in wars and revolutions.' She raised the question, 'Can field courts be held inside these vans?' and added that 'the due process in this regard is completely clear' and 'a person must be summoned to a judicial authority, have the opportunity to defend themselves, be able to read their case, and have a lawyer.' This legal expert stated that law cannot be 'enforced' right there and said that the presence of an on-duty judge in the Morality Police vans 'contradicts all human rights principles, the rights of the accused, principles of fair trial, and all rational principles that all rational people adhere to.' Sahar Azad, a journalist, shared an image of the 'destruction' of satellite equipment with a tank and roller from 2014 in Shiraz, stating that the re-emergence of the Morality Police has caused 'upheaval' for many, but 'what was the result of a tank running over satellite dishes? The answer has been shown by the people over time.' The office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran also expressed concern in a tweet regarding 'reports of renewed repression by the so-called Morality Police for enforcing mandatory hijab.' The tweet stated: 'It seems the regime has learned nothing from the protests. Women and girls everywhere should be allowed to wear whatever they want.' Additionally, the legal advisors of Dadban highlighted the rescue of three girls from the Morality Police by the public in Rasht on Sunday, reminding of the upcoming anniversary of 'Mahsa Amini's murder' and re-sharing an image of a woman being run over by the Morality Police. Dadban emphasized in this tweet that 'from a legal perspective, this police activity regarding warnings, arrests, threats, or any behavior other than identification and reporting to the judicial authority is considered illegal in the context of mandatory hijab.' Elham Nadaf, a journalist, also noted that in the past two days, 'the number of women in chadors and men in plain clothes with walkie-talkies giving hijab warnings and tinted vans in downtown Tehran has increased,' and 'it seems they have acted in such a way that if something happens, they can evade responsibility.' Shaparak Shajari Zadeh, one of the women protesting against mandatory hijab in Iran, described the return of the Morality Police to the streets as 'a return of violence against women' and stated: 'The government and its supporters have lied from the beginning; these patrols were never disbanded.'