DPA
TEHRAN
The Iranian leadership has disbanded the morality police, local media reported on Sunday as President Ebrahim Raisi held an emergency meeting in parliament in response to mass protests in the country.
The morality police, responsible for enforcing the Islamic dress code for women, has been dissolved, “but the judicial authority will continue to deal with this social challenge,” Iran’s attorney general told the Shargh newspaper.
Mohammed Jafar Montazeri provided no details on the circumstances or implementation of the decision.
Nationwide protests, triggered by an arrest by the morality police, have been building in Iran for more than two months.
A 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, was arrested in mid-September for violating the Islamic dress code. A few strands of hair were said to have fallen from under her headscarf, also known as a hijab. Amini died in police custody just days after her arrest, triggering protests throughout the country against the regime.
President Raisi has repeatedly said that Iran is tolerant of criticism, but not of foreign-controlled riots, as he describes them.
Iran has continued to blame the West for the protests, which have been met with violence by authorities.
Human rights organisations estimate that since the outbreak of protests, 60 authorities and 410 protesters including 64 children have died.
The official figures on this are contradictory. Iran’s security council claims 200 have died, while the revolutionary guard reports 300 dead.
Thousands have been arrested over the last two months as well, including students, journalists, athletes and artists.
Some demonstrators have been sentenced to death.
Further protests are planned throughout the country starting on Monday. Opposition sources also report plans for strikes.
