Protesters Secure Release Of Woman Arrested In Tehran Over Hijab

Iranian women walk on a street during the revival of morality police in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2023.
Iranian women walk on a street during the revival of morality police in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2023.

Protesters gathered at the Haft-e-Tir metro station in Tehran following the arrest of a woman over her defiance against Iran's mandatory hijab, successfully securing her release.

Eyewitnesses reported to BBC Persian that the incident began when metro security personnel stopped the woman for not adhering to the hijab law. Despite her refusal to comply with the officers' orders, a growing protest from bystanders after she was taken to a nearby room pressured the officers to release her within twenty minutes.

Political activist Mahdieh Golroo shared footage of the incident on her X account, stating that the woman was "confined in a room at the station until the public's protest led to her release."

The event comes amid renewed governmental efforts to enforce hijab regulations more strictly. On April 13, the Iranian government announced the reactivation of morality police, alongside the implementation of the Plan Noor, aimed at curbing what it deems "immodesty."

The renewed enforcement drive follows directives from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who recently emphasized the necessity of adhering to "religious decrees" concerning the hijab, labeling non-compliance as "religious norm-breaking" activities.

The intensification of hijab enforcement in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody for the inappropriate wearing of her hijab, has been met with further rebellion across society. Increased confrontations and heightened tensions across various Iranian cities have followed the uprising as the government fails to quash the nationwide refusal to be subjected to religious doctrine.

Amini's death ignited a widespread movement against the regime, marking one of the most significant challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979. Ongoing laws to oppress women's right to choose what to wear have been dubbed 'gender apartheid by the UN'.

The government crackdown on the uprising which followed Amini's death resulted in the deaths of at least 500 civilians and the arrest of thousands, as reported by human rights organizations. Since then, record numbers of Iranians have been executed as the regime cracks down on dissent.