Mahsa Amini: Status of vice police unclear as protests continue in Iran

The status of Iran’s vice police remains unclear following unconfirmed reports of its closure.

The controversial government, which has enforced a strict dress code in the country since 2005, has been at the center of recent anti-government protests.

This was announced by the chief prosecutor of Iran. said on Saturday that the vice police “had been shut down” This is reported by the semi-official news agency ISNA.

No further details were released, however, and Iranian state media said the prosecutor was not responsible for overseeing the force. euronews was unable to verify these reports.

Since September, there have been reports of a decrease in the number of vice police officers in Iranian cities and an increase in the number of women walking in public places without hijabs, which is contrary to Iranian law.

But analysts warn that the vice police reports could be an attempt to appease the public and find a way to end the protests without making any real concessions.

At least 470 people, including 64 children, have been killed in anti-government protests in Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini in mid-September, according to NGOs.

22 year old Kurdish-Iranian woman died three days after being detained by the vice police for allegedly violating the veil laws.

Her death sparked a wave of unrest that escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers. Young women continue to take the lead in the protests by removing their mandatory Islamic headscarves.

According to human rights activists in Iran, more than 18,000 people were also arrested during demonstrations that were brutally suppressed by security forces.

The 11-week protests were among the largest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

On Sunday, Iranian MP Nezamoddin Mousavi said the government was “paying attention to the real demands of the people.”

Mousavi told ISNA that Iran’s administration and parliament wanted to “achieve stability and counter unrest” with an economic solution.

His comments came after a private meeting with several senior Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi.

Mousavi did not comment on reports of the closure of the Vice Police.

Tehran continues to blame hostile foreign powers for the unrest without providing evidence.

“Be sure that in Iran, within the framework of democracy and freedom that very clearly exists in Iran, everything is going very well,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahyan said during a visit to Belgrade, Serbia.