Tehran Prosecutor: We Have Issued Judicial Orders to Police for Dealing with Bad Hijab

Abbas Jafari Dolat Abadi, the Tehran prosecutor, announced the issuance of judicial orders to the Iranian police to deal with 'bad hijab', 'collect satellites', and 'prohibit advertisements on unauthorized satellite networks'. According to the public relations office of the Tehran prosecutor's office, Mr. Jafari Dolat Abadi made these statements during a joint meeting on December 22, attended by the Ministry of Interior, the Tehran provincial prosecutor's office, and heads of judicial districts in the province. He described the nature of these orders as 'preventive judicial measures' and added that these orders have led to 'more serious police actions against these manifestations this year'. The Tehran prosecutor stated that there is a 'close relationship' between social harms and crimes, and for this reason, social harms must be 'controlled and crimes contained'. His remarks about the necessity of 'controlling' social harms come after Ali Motahari, a member of parliament, said that the leader of the Islamic Republic cried after hearing a report on social pathology in Iran. Following this report to Ayatollah Khamenei, a new wave of police actions against 'those wearing leggings', 'bad dressers', and 'bad hijab' individuals in Iran began. Early in December, Iranian media reported that 'guidance patrols' had returned to the streets of Tehran after a long absence. Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the police spokesman, warned late in November that women who 'unveil' in their private cars would have their vehicles confiscated and would be 'banned from service'. Officials of the Islamic Republic have categorized several social freedoms, especially the choice of dress and divorce, alongside prostitution, poverty, and addiction as social harms. According to the 1983 Penal Code, failing to observe Islamic hijab in public places is a crime punishable by flogging. In recent years, with the increasing presence of women in universities and public places, the dissatisfaction of Islamic Republic officials with the hijab situation in the country has grown. Hossein Ashtari, the police commander, stated on December 4 that the force felt a duty to act 'given the moral disorder in society' and had begun addressing these 'anomalies' for the past month. According to him, the police have implemented 'decisive actions against harassers, violators, noise pollution, and unveiling in vehicles'. Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the police spokesman, also previously warned women who 'unveil' in their private cars that their vehicles would be confiscated and they would be 'banned from service'.