A file photo of Dowlatabad Garden in Yazd where the three Iranians were arrested
Amid simmering tensions over the observance of the Iranian regime’s strict Islamic dress code, police arrested three Iranians who confronted hijab enforcers.
The incident, which happened in one of the tourist hubs of the central city of Yazd on Tuesday, was reported by the Iranian media on Thursday.
Apparently, hijab enforcers confronted an Iranian woman who reportedly was not covering herself in public, a common sight in society after more than six months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of ‘hijab police’ in September 2022. The woman, along with two of her companions, started quarreling with the hijab enforcer leading to a scuffle and the arrest of citizens.
State media claim that the hijab enforcer was beaten by the protesting people, but such allegations have often turned out to be inaccurate by officials to justify its crackdown on protesters.
Such confrontations have become more frequent in recent months as people are outraged by the regime’s brutal acts to enforce mandatory rules. Citizens are also emboldened by widespread public defiance. The country’s parliament is planning draft new repressive measures to further crackdowns on those defying mandatory hijab, including increased surveillance and cutting access to social services.
As the Holy Month of Ramadan starts, Iran's police warned Wednesday that there will be strict punishments for those caught eating in public during fasting hours. Every year police enforce a national plan to deal with those who break Ramadan rules in public, and transgressors are sometimes sentenced to months of detention and lashes.