Iran’s new president has said that morality police will no longer “bother” women over the wearing of the mandatory hijab headscarf, days after the UN warned women were still being violently punished for breaking the strict dress code, the BBC reports.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s comments came on the second anniversary of the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly not wearing the hijab properly, sparking nationwide protests.
The UN last week said Iran’s government had “intensified efforts” since that period to suppress women’s rights and crush any last vestiges of activism.
But on Monday, Pezeshkian said that the morality police should no longer be confronting women on the street.
He was responding to questions from a female reporter who said she had taken detours en route to the press conference to avoid police vans. She was wearing her head scarf loosely with some hair showing.
When asked by Pezeshkian if the police were still on the streets she confirmed that was the case.
In response he said: “The morality police were not supposed to confront [women]. I will follow up so they don’t bother [them]”.
