Pressure continues on protesters against compulsory hijab; judiciary processes cases out of turn
Ali Al-Qasi, the prosecutor of Tehran, announced that protesters against the compulsory hijab will be dealt with decisively.
The IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday, June 10, that Tehran Prosecutor Ali Al-Qasi emphasized the need to confront protesters against compulsory hijab, saying: "We will deal decisively with those who systematically violate norms and promote the enemy's goals in the field of immorality and lack of hijab."
Since January two years ago, young women and girls have been protesting the mandatory hijab in Iran by removing their headscarves. So far, dozens of these protesting activists have been arrested and imprisoned by the Islamic Republic, and some have been forced to leave the country.
In May of this year, the US State Department issued a statement strongly condemning the severe repression of women's rights activists in Iran and calling for an end to the harassment and imprisonment of women who are simply demanding their basic and fundamental rights.
Amnesty International also published a report in June of this year, highlighting the role of compulsory hijab in the daily lives of Iranian women and girls, and pointing out the sometimes very violent treatment of women who do not wear a full hijab by moral security police officers.
The Islamic Republic authorities had previously banned dog walking in provinces including Tehran, Gilan, and Khuzestan, and in mid-June of this year, Masoud Soleimani, the deputy prosecutor of Gorgan's Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office, wrote that dog walking is prohibited in Gorgan and that the police are obligated to arrest the "accused" if they observe this and the dog is to be handed over to the "municipality."
The Islamic Republic also has a history of violent encounters with dogs, with municipal officials repeatedly attempting to kill these animals.
Source: Voice of America
