ALBAWABA - Around one year after the death of Iranian activist Mahsa Amini and the massive protests that followed it, the Iranian government announced the return of morality police to the streets.
An Iranian spokesperson confirmed to Tasnim News Agency that the morality police will be deployed again to enforce hijab rules. Morality police work was stopped following violent demonstrations that erupted in September.
Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran on Sept. 13 by the country's morality police for wearing the hijab "improperly." Amini, 22, was reported to have been tortured causing a collapse in her health and she died 3 days after her arrest.
Iran International reported that on Saturday, a video showing morality police arresting a young girl for not wearing the hijab has gone viral on social media. The teenage girl was shouting: "I'm not coming with you" while members of the police were pushing her into their unmarked van.
Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad shared the video and commented: "This is Iran today and this is how the morality police arrested a teenager for not wearing a hijab. Mahsa Zhina Amini was taken away like this, then killed. Where are those journalists who excitedly reported the cancellation of those morality police?"
Mahsa Amini (Photo by Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP)
Human rights activists and organization has expressed their worry after the return of the country's morality police saying it could further strict women's rights in Iran.
In April, Iranian authorities announced installing smart cameras nationwide to detect women who fail to wear the hijab. Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan confirmed: "From next Saturday, people who remove their veil will be identified, using smart equipment."
After protests across Iran, many of those who were arrested for participating in the protests received death sentences.
