UN Calls for Dissolution of 'Morality Police': Any Violence Against Women Should Be Criminalized

On Friday, November 3, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern over the Islamic Republic's treatment of women and girls, calling for the dissolution of the Islamic Republic's 'Morality Police.' In its review of Iran's human rights record, the committee stated that the Islamic Republic must provide legislation that protects women and girls from all forms of violence. The committee's report indicated that the Islamic Republic 'must enact comprehensive laws that explicitly criminalize domestic violence, marital rape, and so-called honor crimes, and all forms of violence against women and girls.' The killing of Mahsa Amini by the so-called 'Morality Police' last year sparked a wave of protests against the Islamic Republic. According to Reuters, Amini's death ignited years of pent-up anger over issues ranging from the lack of political freedoms and lifestyle choices to economic problems, exacerbating the deepest legitimacy crisis of the clerical regime in Iran in recent decades. The UN Human Rights Committee stated that Iran must 'reform or repeal laws and policies that criminalize non-compliance with mandatory hijab and dissolve the Morality Police.' The Iranian diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the committee's findings. According to the United Nations and human rights groups, the Islamic Republic's police and Basij paramilitaries enforce mandatory hijab laws through violence. A woman without a hijab may face harassment, arrest, fines, and even imprisonment. Activists who have challenged these laws face years in prison. Reuters reported that the so-called Morality Police largely disappeared from the streets after Mahsa Amini's death in custody but have now returned to the streets, installing surveillance cameras to identify and punish women without hijabs. Azra Zia, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, on Friday, September 15, commemorated Mahsa Amini and expressed condolences to her family and other victims of protests in Iran, stating: 'Today marks one year since Mahsa's death, and the human rights situation in Iran remains dire.' She added: 'The regime continues to severely restrict the human rights of Iranians and has increased surveillance and punishment of women and men who engage in civil disobedience. Reports indicate that the so-called Morality Police have returned to the streets of major Iranian cities and are suppressing women through arrests and other inhumane punishments to enforce mandatory hijab laws.' Amnesty International expressed outrage and sorrow on Monday, November 30, over the death of Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old girl, due to the enforcement of 'humiliating and degrading mandatory hijab laws,' calling for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer, and all detainees at the funeral of this teenager. In its statement on social media, the international organization criticized mandatory hijab in Iran as a tool for 'widespread and systematic violations of the human rights of women and girls.' Amnesty International also urged countries worldwide to hold Iranian officials accountable for 'ordering, planning, and widespread and systematic violations of the human rights of women and girls' through the enforcement of mandatory hijab. Other reports highlight resistance against enforcers of mandatory hijab in Iran, including incidents in Tehran's metro. Increased pressure and summons of students have been described as 'unprecedented' by student councils, citing hijab enforcement as the pretext. A recent UN Secretary-General report noted a 30% increase in executions in Iran. The closure of a hall hosting a ceremony honoring doctors was due to the presence of a doctor without a mandatory hijab. Amnesty International reiterated that mandatory hijab is a tool for 'widespread and systematic' violations of the rights of women and girls in Iran. Abolfazl Ghadiani stated that Khamenei is responsible for the murder of Armita Garavand. Two cinema guilds described the banning of female actors as a 'clear example of crisis creation.'