Iran Disband 'morality police' after two months of anti-hijab protest

In mid-September, the so-called Iranian police arrested 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in Tehran for wearing inappropriate clothes.

They then took him to the police station, where he fell on his head. Three days later, on September 16, he died in the hospital.

Amini's death sparked widespread outrage, leading to government protests that, nearly three months later, rocked many cities.

"The moral police have nothing to do with the justice system" and should be abolished, said Iran Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri.

What does the 'morality police' do?

The "Gasht-e-Ershad", commonly known as the "moral police", is an Iranian police force created under the ruling President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tasked with enforcing Islamic dress codes in 'public.

According to Iranian law, all adult women must wear head coverings and modest clothing in public. 

At school, girls generally wear the hijab from the age of 7, but this does not mean that they must wear it in other public places.

A 2018 survey released by Iran's parliament showed that between 60 and 70 percent of Iranian women do not follow "Islamic dress" in public.

Activists have fought against the compulsory wearing of the hijab for decades, and many of them are currently in prison.