Tehran - A video showing female members of Iran's so-called
"morality police" beating a woman, allegedly for being
inappropriately dressed, has prompted outrage on social media and
calls for an investigation.
The video, circulated widely on social media on Thursday, showed a
young woman with a headscarf that exposed some of her hair being
approached by a group of other women wearing full headscarves.
The woman appeared to protest after she was allegedly told that her
form of dress is not "Islamic" and resists arrest. The other women
then beat her and forced her into a police car.
Iran's interior minister and chief of police have both called for the
incident to be investigated, according to the ISNA news agency. A
report on the incident will be presented on Saturday, the agency
said.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Iran’s religious dictatorship, the ruling thought police AND the innocent young generation that pays for it... #آزادی #حجاب_اجبارى #گشت_ارشاد #پليس_داعشى #دختران_مظلوم_ایران pic.twitter.com/VI5ZZdHqa1
— baharshamloo (@BShamloo) April 19, 2018
Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar and Shahindocht Molawerdi, the head
of the Civil Rights Division of the Presidential Office, condemned
the police action.
Iranians reacted strongly to the incident on social media, calling
for harsh punishment for the perpetrators and the resignation of the
police chief and interior minister.
Iranian law requires women over the age of 9 to wear headscarves and
full gowns in public. The so-called morality police are tasked with
enforcing dress codes in the country.