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| Amir Mehdipur, Human Rights Lawyer |
The implementation of hijab regulations in various cities of Iran has led to an increase in cases of police violence against women and even teenage girls. Recently, there have been reports of a young woman being shot in her car and images showing teenage girls being beaten by officials.
In an interview with Voice of America, lawyer Amir Mehdipur stated that violence against women due to the hijab regulations is illegal. However, he emphasized that the government's strict instructions to take severe measures against those violating the hijab rules have made such acts of violence almost inevitable.
According to Amir Mehdipur, “According to the law, the use of firearms by the armed forces is determined in Iran. The case of Ms. Arzu Badri does not fall under those circumstances. Even if the car was on the confiscation list or if, as claimed, she was trying to escape from the officer, the officer was still not authorized to use a firearm. As reported, the officer who shot at Arzu Badri's car has been taken into custody.”
Iranian authorities have stated that the officer who shot at Arzu Badri has been taken into custody, but they claim the incident was not related to the hijab issue. However, according to human rights defenders, documents provided by Badri’s family confirm that the vehicle was on the confiscation list due to a violation of hijab regulations.
The lawyer believes that such incidents have become inevitable as the government increases pressure regarding the hijab regulations.
“The government does not want to back down on this issue. Both society and women are resisting, telling the government that it cannot decide what they wear. The government is afraid that if this issue were to retreat even slightly, it would have to back down on other issues as well. That’s why the pressure is increasing. Naturally, as the pressure increases, such incidents will happen in some places,” the lawyer says.
He also mentions that, in addition to the general increase in pressure, there are cases where officials are ordered to intensify the measures.
"One aspect of the matter is that sometimes higher authorities issue orders to take measures with more violence. This is because, primarily, the police are not solely responsible. The police, the judicial system, and other forces are all branches of this repression system,” Amir Mehdipur adds.