Two Teenage Girls Arrested for Dancing Near the 'Memorial of Unknown Martyrs'

Fars News Agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reports that two teenage girls who had a video of them dancing near the 'Memorial of Unknown Martyrs' published online were arrested in Tehran. The news agency wrote on Thursday evening, February 4, that these two girls were 'handed over to judicial authorities after their arrest, and the related Instagram page was also blocked.' The news agency did not mention that these girls are underage, nor did it provide any explanation regarding whether children's rights were respected in their case. Meanwhile, Fars accused these two teenagers of having 'inappropriate attire' and 'unconventional and un-Islamic movements.' Following the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, there has been a significant increase in the publication of images of women and teenage girls without mandatory hijab and dancing in public places, and despite threats, summonses, and arrests of many of these women, the security institutions of the Islamic Republic have been unable to prevent the dissemination of these videos. The crackdown on these two teenage girls comes at a time when Mohammad Javad Zarif, the strategic deputy of the Iranian president, claimed on Wednesday, February 3, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the Islamic Republic has 'decided not to pressure women regarding hijab.' Mr. Zarif, in an interview with Fareed Zakaria, a famous CNN host and expert, said this is 'a promise made by Mr. Pezeshkian' and 'with his efforts,' as well as 'the consent of senior Iranian officials including the head of the judiciary, the speaker of parliament, and the national security council.' This claim comes at a time when the security and law enforcement agencies of the Islamic Republic have intensified their actions against women and girls opposing mandatory hijab in the months following the protests of 1401, which were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. The security and law enforcement agencies have taken measures such as closing business units, depriving women of public services, street confrontations, and detaining women to counter the increasing wave of Iranian women refusing to comply with mandatory hijab. However, with the failure of these efforts, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, dominated by hardliners, has approved a plan known as 'Chastity and Hijab,' which imposes penalties such as 'fines of tens of millions of tomans, confiscation of property, and heavy imprisonment' to combat women. This plan, which has been approved by the Guardian Council and turned into law, has not yet been communicated by the head of the executive branch.