Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to ensure the morality police would no longer “bother” women, in remarks to the media on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody.
“The morality police were not supposed to confront (women). I will follow up so they don’t bother” them, Pezeshkian said during his first press conference in Iran since he took office in July.
Pezeshkian replaced the ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
During election campaigning, he had vowed to “fully” oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory hijab headscarf, as well as easing long-standing internet restrictions.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022, days after the morality police arrested her in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.
Her death triggered months-long protests nationwide, with hundreds of people killed, including dozens of security personnel. Thousands of demonstrators were arrested.
Iran has over the years tightly controlled internet use, restricting popular social media platforms such as Facebook and X.
