The 'Justice Ali' Group Publishes 'Highly Confidential' Documents on Government's Mobilization Against Women

The hacking group 'Justice Ali' has obtained 'highly confidential' documents related to meetings concerning mandatory hijab, revealing that the intelligence agencies of the Islamic Republic, in collaboration with ministries and security of educational and health centers, have been organized to confront women. The disclosure of government documents regarding mandatory hijab and the mobilization of multiple institutions of the Islamic Republic to counter women's civil disobedience comes at a time when reports from Iran indicate a continuation of resistance against the mandatory hijab. According to images released by the 'Justice Ali' group on Sunday, February 21, the reports of meetings and resolutions of the 'Chastity and Hijab Headquarters' and directives signed by Ahmad Vahidi, the then Minister of Interior, show that planning has been carried out at a high level among the officials of the Islamic Republic, including the government, the intelligence organizations of the IRGC and the police, and the judiciary, to counter women's civil disobedience regarding the non-compliance with the mandatory hijab. According to a resolution from the National Security Council (Shak) on April 29, 2023, the Ministers of Science and Health, as well as the President of Azad University and the Head of the General Security Organization, were asked to implement 'dress code laws for entering universities and receiving educational and welfare services.' The directive emphasizes that 'according to inspections and reviews, the hijab situation in universities in Tehran, especially in Tehran, Sharif, Alzahra, Allameh, Beheshti, Iran Medical Sciences,' and also 'Azad University' in the units 'Zargandeh Medical Sciences, North Tehran, Suhank, and Art at Palestine Square' is not 'acceptable' to the Islamic Republic and manifestations of norm-breaking are repeatedly observable, and therefore, the aforementioned officials are requested to 'urgently implement the necessary action plan from the heads of universities and security centers and reflect the results of this headquarters.' Furthermore, according to these documents, in a letter related to the meeting on April 9, 2023, signed by the Minister of Interior, addressed to 'Hossein Salami, Commander of the IRGC, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, Minister of Intelligence, Ahmad Reza Radan, Commander of the Police, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, Attorney General, Ezzatollah Zarghami, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Alinejad, Minister of Health, Zolfi Gol, Minister of Science, Bazarpas, Minister of Roads, Mohammad Kazemi, Head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, Fakhar, Governor of Tehran, Najat, Commander of the Tharallah Headquarters, Zakani, Mayor of Tehran, and Alqasi Mehr, Head of the Judiciary of Tehran Province,' a directive including the resolutions of the 'Chastity and Hijab Headquarters' was published with the aim of 'reviewing conditions and increasing coordination among responsible agencies.' According to this directive, which was to be implemented on April 2, 2023, it was emphasized that the police 'do not need to obtain approval or request from the union for legal actions such as warnings and closures' and 'must act independently'; moreover, 'trade unions are obliged to cooperate and coordinate with the police.' Based on this instruction, 'operators of active business units in recreational, entertainment, and accommodation centers, tourism, museums, parks, and gardens, Book Garden, hotels, cinemas and theaters, Milad Tower or all places under the supervision of municipalities, active business units in hospitals and medical centers including restaurants and cafes, active business units at airports and railways, land and sea terminals and subways, and offices of companies, institutions, clinics, beauty clinics, pharmacies, seasonal exhibition offices' are obliged to cooperate with the aforementioned government institutions to enforce the mandatory hijab on women. Additionally, this resolution requests the police command of the Islamic Republic to 'allocate sufficient police officers to identify and warn women who have removed their hijab, and these officers, while documenting the removal of hijab, should directly refer the violators along with the necessary documentation to the competent court for sentencing.' Furthermore, the judiciary has also been tasked with 'allocating sufficient court branches for this purpose' and 'mobile courts should be established in streets and public places, large shopping centers and malls, and other necessary locations.' According to this directive, the enforcement of mandatory hijab in places controlled by the Tehran municipality, including parks and recreational areas and subways, has been assigned to the capital's municipality, and it has been emphasized that 'for providing the necessary forces,' 'motivated IRGC members' should be used, and 'the cost of these forces is to be borne by the municipality.' Also see: Reactions to the death of Armita Garavand: Registering another victim of mandatory hijab. Furthermore, according to the National Security Council's approval, emphasizing 'the authorization previously granted by the Attorney General to the police for dealing with hijab removal,' it has been stated that 'this authorization has been approved by the Guardian Council, and the police should act to seize vehicles. Additionally, the motorcycle license plate bank should be quickly added to the monitoring software.' Based on the National Security Council's resolution, which includes officials of the Islamic Republic government, high-ranking IRGC officials, and security institutions of the government, 'entry of individuals in a state of hijab removal into all airports, railway stations, and passenger ports has been declared prohibited,' and its implementation has been entrusted to the police command. According to this resolution, 'individuals in a state of hijab removal will not receive any services, and the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development is obliged to prevent the provision of services to violators after issuing warnings through its relevant organizations. Additionally, waiting areas and passenger exit halls are subject to this resolution and necessary warnings regarding hijab compliance must be issued to violators, and 'in case of insistence on removal, the violator will be expelled from the hall or handed over to the judicial authority. Furthermore, in areas where the IRGC is responsible, such as gates and transit halls, hijab removal should be prevented according to the aforementioned method, and necessary cooperation with the security organization should be provided. The responsibility for observing hijab inside the airplane or train lies with the airline and railway company, and the Ministry of Roads and Transportation is obliged to issue specific instructions. In case of non-compliance by the passenger with the warning, their details should be handed over to the relevant company's security to take action against the provision of services.' Institutions under the supervision of provincial governors have also been mandated to refrain from providing services to individuals who do not comply with mandatory hijab. According to the Shak (National Security Council) resolution, 'entry of individuals in a state of hijab removal into universities has been declared prohibited,' and 'in case of hijab removal, violators will be banned from entry. Other punishments will also be imposed according to the student disciplinary regulations.' This council has also announced that 'the Ministry of Intelligence, the IRGC Intelligence Organization, and the police intelligence organization must deal with' what has been referred to as 'the gangs and individuals who are organized and aim to undermine public decency by norm-breaking in dress and hijab,' and according to Islamic Penal Code, they should be handed over to judicial authorities; 'this resolution also includes celebrities, bloggers, influencers, and other individuals active in the virtual space,' and according to this resolution, 'their crime will not be limited to hijab removal.' Additionally, the Attorney General's office and the police command of the Islamic Republic have been requested 'to urgently issue a statement regarding the issue of hijab removal' and 'call on everyone to observe hijab in all public places and thoroughfares.' 'The police and security agencies' have also been mandated to 'prepare necessary documentation regarding schoolgirls who remove their hijab and refer the issue to the Ministry of Education to deal with violators through the internal mechanisms of the Ministry of Education.' Also see: A teenage girl's suicide; school officials: 'She was wearing a hijab.' Furthermore, according to this resolution, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism has been tasked with issuing a directive to all places and units under its supervision to condition the provision of services on hijab compliance. Also see: Mandatory hijab warning in Shahzadeh Garden in Kerman led to a death; users' reactions: another 'Mahsa Amini.' Additionally, this resolution requests the judiciary to 'issue warnings to media and individuals who are in any way promoting or supporting hijab removal in the virtual space' and 'take legal action against them,' and 'the IRGC and Basij Organization' have also been tasked with 'training individuals, planning suitable field presence, and issuing warnings regarding mandatory hijab in Tehran,' and the police command has been mandated to 'provide field support for the IRGC and Basij plans.' According to this resolution, 'until sufficient surveillance cameras are installed, the Tehran provincial intelligence organization and the IRGC intelligence organization have been tasked with 'documenting (photos and videos) individuals who remove their hijab and identifying them and providing necessary information to the police.' Also see: The police's directive for visual monitoring of business units; in the context of 'suppression'? According to another document presented, 'in all places and centers under the supervision of the Islamic Republic government,' 'the provision of services is conditional on compliance with dress laws,' and 'all security institutions including the Ministry of Intelligence, IRGC Intelligence Organization' have been mandated to 'fully cooperate with the police command regarding photography and identification' of those who do not comply with mandatory hijab, and 'daily data in this regard should be sent to the police in all provinces.' Additionally, these documents state that 'individuals who publish photos and content that violate norms in the virtual space should be warned and their pages closed by the authorities for judicial processing.' Also see: Seven people arrested in Bushehr for activities on Instagram. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has also been tasked with 'taking necessary legal action against media that, aligned with the enemy, encourage the weakening of hijab and promote hijab removal or defiance of laws or legal actions of relevant authorities.' Also see: Continuing controversies over the Narenjestan incident; Fars' reaction to Farhikhtegan's report: That narrative is 'fake.' According to these documents, the intelligence agencies of the Islamic Republic have been mandated to 'after gathering sufficient documentation from high school girls in Tehran who remove their hijab after school hours, provide this information in coordination with the security center of the Tehran Education Organization to the relevant schools to take appropriate deterrent actions as soon as possible in collaboration with the school principals and the security managers of the education districts, inviting the parents of the violators.' Also see: Report by Dadban: The school principal threatened the factor behind the suicide of Arzoo Khavari. Furthermore, 'the Ministry of Intelligence, IRGC Intelligence Organization, and police intelligence organization' have been mandated to carry out intelligence and technical actions regarding individuals and gangs that the Islamic Republic officials refer to as 'organized, hijab underminers and promoters of hijab removal,' and 'increase their surveillance over such individuals significantly compared to the past.' Also see: Ambiguity regarding the fate of several arrested citizens; IRGC: 'They were monarchists.' The Tehran municipality has also been tasked with 'operationalizing its plan regarding the entry of individuals into the metro while complying with dress laws from the date of this resolution's announcement' and 'adding at least 10 stations to this plan weekly.' Also see: Contradictions among officials regarding the 'spontaneity' of hijab enforcers; enforcement of 'mandatory hijab' continues. The heads of all universities in Tehran under the supervision of the Ministries of Science, Health, and Azad University and the security officials, especially the officials of Allameh, Sharif, and Art universities, have been mandated to 'urgently implement previous resolutions of the National Security Council and the Chastity and Hijab Headquarters and the Ministry of Science's statement regarding individuals who remove their hijab and take action against students who remove their hijab in classes and lecture halls.' Also see: 'Hijab enforcers are still stationed at the entrance of Tehran University.' According to the disclosed confidential documents, the General Security Organization of the Islamic Republic, 'while inspecting and reiterating the necessity of complying with dress laws and the resolutions of the Chastity and Hijab Headquarters at airports, railways, and other government centers,' has demanded 'improvement of the mandatory hijab situation' in the Enqelab Sports Club. Furthermore, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism has been tasked with 'inspecting and reiterating the necessity of complying with dress laws and the resolutions of the Chastity and Hijab Headquarters in all museums and cultural and historical sites under supervision to enforce the condition of hijab compliance for benefiting from services.' According to these documents, the Central Bank and the Central Insurance have also been requested 'to issue a directive regarding the conditional provision of services in bank and insurance branches based on compliance with dress laws, supervise the proper implementation of this resolution, and cooperate with the General Security Organization and the provincial governor's office.'