First concession. Iran Prosecutor Says Police Assistant Disbanded

Iran’s Attorney General said the morality police, which monitors compliance with the country’s Islamic dress code, will be disbanded, the BBC wrote.

This statement was made by Attorney General Mohammad Jaafar Montazeri at a public event on Sunday, December 4. Protests have been going on for months over the death of Mahs Amini, who was detained by the deputy police officer for allegedly violating the hijab rules in Iran.

When asked if the deputy police officer was terminated, Montazeri replied, “The deputy police officer has nothing to do with the judiciary and is terminated by his creators.”

In Iran, the deputy policeman was controlled not by the judiciary, but by the Ministry of Interior.

Montazeri added that Iran’s parliament intends to review the law mandating women to wear headscarves. If the moral police were actually abolished, this does not mean that the law would be changed by lawmakers.

Mass protests in Iran began on September 16, days after 22-year-old Amini died after being detained by police aide. His death became the catalyst for the protests that started against the backdrop of poverty, unemployment, inequality and corruption in the country.

The dismissal of the deputy police officer would be a concession to the Iranian authorities, but so far there is no guarantee that this will be enough to stop the protests.

“The fact that the government has decided to purge the deputy police officer does not mean that the protests in our country will end,” the Iranian woman said on the BBC programme.

Recall, recently it was reported that Iran sought help from the Kremlin to suppress the protests in the country. Tehran is asking Russia for equipment to deal with the protesters and also wants to train its security forces.