Amnesty International condemns Iran’s escalating crackdown on women’s rights

In a recent report, Amnesty International has raised the alarm about Iranian authorities’ intensified repression of women and girls, particularly regarding the mandatory wearing of head coverings. The human rights organization called on the international community to take decisive action against the grave violations being committed by Iranian authorities.

The report highlights the resurgence of the Iranian morality police in the country’s streets, which had been curtailed during the widespread protests that shook the nation in recent months. Now, the Iranian authorities are employing more authoritarian measures to punish women and girls who defy head covering laws.

During the protests, numerous women courageously removed their headscarves in public, with some even burning or discarding them on the ground as a form of protest. In response, over a million women received alarming messages warning of car confiscation due to being captured on camera without the veil. Furthermore, several women were forcibly expelled from universities, deprived of taking final exams, and denied access to public transportation.

Agnès Callamard, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, stressed that the international community cannot remain indifferent to the escalating repression faced by Iranian women and girls. She called for accountability and urged that Iranian officials be held responsible for orchestrating abuses against women and girls, mandating them to wear headscarves.

The protests in Iran ignited in mid-September after the tragic state murder of Zhina “Mahsa” Amini, a young woman arrested by the morality police in Tehran for not wearing the veil properly. Her death became a rallying point for those demanding an end to the oppressive and discriminatory practices imposed on women in the country.

Amnesty International’s report serves as a powerful call to action, urging the international community to stand together against the violations of women’s rights in Iran and demand justice for those oppressed by the veil enforcement measures.