Has Iran Really Disbanded Its ‘Morality Police’? Here’s What We Know So Far

After two months of protests and the loss of several civilian lives, the Iranian government has reportedly decided to "disband" its controversial Morality Police. The statement came from Iran's public prosecutor last evening. 

However, there is no confirmation from the government itself so far. 

Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was previously quoted as saying "both the parliament and the judiciary are working on the issue," on whether the law requiring women to cover their head needs to be changed.

"Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished", he said last night, as reported by the ISNA News Agency.

The Gasht-e-Ershad or Guidance Patrol, is a part of the police force which reports to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameini, but the elected government has a say in its activities through the Interior Ministry. It was established under President Mohammad Ahmadinejad in 2006, to "spread the culture of modesty and hijab".

The hijab has been mandatory in Iran since 1983, a law imposed in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

However, the strictness of the laws has been fluid, since under the "liberal" President Hassan Rouhani, they were relaxed and it became commonplace to see women in Western clothing and loose, colourful headscarves.

The protests, which were triggered by the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Morality Police, have now been going on and off for two months.

The Iranian government has denied that Amini was killed at the hands of its police, and has accused the US and Israel of fomenting these protests.

So far, at least 448 people have reportedly been killed by the security forces in the protests, as reported by Iran Human Rights, while thousand others have been arrested.

What the possible disbandment of the force would mean is still unclear, with protesters calling for a two-day strike in response to the announcement. One activist even called the reports of abolition of the Morality Police as ‘pure propaganda’ and ‘disinformation’.

According to her, this was a ploy by the Iranian government to calm the ongoing protests. 

Even so, the hijab law is still likely to remain in force, albeit under consideration for reduced severity, as hinted by President Ebrahim Raisi.