“Is it War?” Morality Police Are Out in Force in Tehran

IranWire has obtained images from Tehran’s Shahrak Gharb neighborhood and Vanak Square showing a noticeable surge in the presence of Morality Police officers monitoring citizens' clothing.

The deployment of police comes amid heightened tension between the government and the Iranian population over the mandatory hijab rules, as the first anniversary of the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody draws near. Amini had been detained by Morality Police for allegedly wearing her headcovering improperly.

A citizen journalist shared with IranWire her observations on the situation in Shahrak Gharb and Vanak Square.

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The city appears to be under quasi-military rule. Most of the drivers now wear civilian attire, with male officers occasionally accompanying their female counterparts. Yet, they strive to remain inconspicuous as they fear being captured on camera or film.

Agents are widely deployed across Shahrak Gharb. After discreetly parking their vehicles, they closely monitor the area. On Vanak Square, women officers wearing black cloaks without police logos enforce women’s compliance with the compulsory hijab law.

The female agents uniformly wear masks and sunglasses to conceal their identities. Some male agents do not wear a mark but they remain cautious.

I discreetly capture a photo of a woman officer in chador standing next to a male colleague in a police uniform. The man notices me and calls on his colleague to seize my phone and search in the photo gallery.

I’m assertive of my rights and calmly say that I’m a lawyer at Ershad Court. I remind the officer that conducting a search without a warrant would have serious repercussions. I make it unequivocal that he has no authority to touch me or my phone.

The agent is somewhat taken aback and asks, "Why were you taking pictures of us?"

I retort, "Have you done something wrong that you fear being monitored?"

No response. I turn away from the officers and continue on my way to buy bread. I know that many people, in a similar violent and terrifying situation, would have handed over their phones to the officer with a loud voice.

According to reports by the Tasnim news agency, which is closely associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), some unmarked patrol vehicles have been carrying duty judges.  

The 2013 amendment of the Criminal Procedure Law authorizes such judges to act when regular cases cannot be handled promptly and "urgent" decisions are required. 

It appears that dealing with the opponents of mandatory hijab has been classified as an urgency by the judiciary and police.

When I told the officer he had no warrant, I expected the duty judge to issue one. But that didn’t happen. 

Countless white vans and police cars are stationed in front of Milad and Noor shopping malls, as well as other commercial centers in Shahrak Gharb neighbourhood. "Is it war?" I ask myself.