Activist Condemns Hijab Crackdown in Tehran Metro

Political activist Abbas Abdi has slammed the recent deployment of police and hijab patrols in Tehran's metro stations, aiming to enforce mandatory hijab regulations.

In a Monday editorial for Etemad newspaper, the reputable reformist commentator and journalist expressed deep concern over the situation, asserting that “the increased police presence in the metro only serves to heighten public discontent.”

In recent months the regime has hardened its stance over the hijab as the strength of rebellion fails to weaken.

Abdi emphasized that the onus is on the government to align itself with the expectations of the people and work towards a more harmonious coexistence. Images circulating on social media depict numerous hijab officers creating congestion in a subway passageway at Tehran's Enghelab station, now colloquially referred to as the "horror tunnel" for women.

Reports also highlight the use of cameras by the Security Police (FARAJA) to identify women without headscarves. Abdi reposted an image of the hijab enforcers on the X social network on Friday, cautioning that the regime would likely face regrettable consequences for its decisions.

The stringent enforcement of hijab rules gained momentum following the tragic death of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in hijab police custody in September 2022, igniting the Women, Life, Freedom protests. In May, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani announced the implementation of a uniformed security unit to prevent women from accessing metro ticket gates.

Reports in August suggested that Tehran municipality was planning to deploy 400 personnel to enforce hijab laws at subway stations in the capital. The heightened presence of hijab police also led to the death of Armita Geravand, 16, who lost her life in October following an encounter with Tehran's hijab police in the subway, in echoes of the Mahsa Amini tragedy one year earlier.