Iranian President: Morality Police Will No Longer Harass Women

tehran - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promises to stop the morality police from harassing women in the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged on Monday that the morality police in the Islamic Republic will no longer harass women. He made this announcement during his first press conference since taking office in July, exactly two years after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian, died on September 16, 2022, in police custody after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly not adhering to religious dress codes. Her death sparked months of nationwide street protests, leading to hundreds of casualties, including dozens of officers, and thousands of arrests.

"The morality police were not meant to confront women. I will ensure that they do not harass them," Pezeshkian stated during his press conference. The 69-year-old heart surgeon succeeded the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

During his election campaign, Pezeshkian promised to resist police patrols enforcing mandatory hijab and to ease internet restrictions. Iran has long maintained strict surveillance over internet usage and limited access to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Following the protests over Amini's death, restrictions were further tightened. Pezeshkian announced on Monday that his administration is working to relax the internet restrictions, especially on social media.

Pezeshkian briefly touched on other topics during his press conference, including the strained relations with the United States. "We do not want to quarrel with America if it respects our rights," he said. "We are not the ones hostile to Americans. We have not built military bases around their country." He also emphasized that Tehran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.