Women and girls in Iran have been subjected to a violent crackdown by the country’s police as part of a new hijab enforcement campaign announced by authorities on 13 April. The UN and media outlets reported that women and girls across the country were being harassed and detained, with some alleging that they had been beaten and sexually assaulted. Surveillance cameras were reportedly being used to identify individuals not complying with the mandatory hijab laws and hundreds of businesses were forced to close for not enforcing the laws. On 21 April, the Tehran head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the creation of a new hijab law enforcement body, which would, he said, police the dress codes ‘in a more serious manner’ in public spaces. Commentators have indicated that the campaign is the most serious attempt by the state to impose its authority on this issue since the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022 and 2023.      

Sources: United Nations, Iran International, The Guardian, The Washington Post, International IDEA

On 1 March, Iran held parliamentary elections for all 290 seats of its Islamic Consultative Assembly, although contests for 45 of these seats will go to a second round in April or May, due to the fact that the winning candidates had failed to secure 20 per cent of the vote. The first round was dominated by members of the conservative, hardliner political faction, who clinched 200 seats, with many candidates from the reformist faction prevented from running. Despite there having been 1,713 female candidates, only 11 were elected in the first round. Voters also selected candidates for 88 seats of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a deliberative body tasked with appointing the country’s Supreme Leader, and hardliners dominated this poll, too. Voter turnout was 40.64 per cent, the lowest since the foundation of the Islamic Republic in 1979.   

Sources: The Iran Primer, Al Jazeera, Stimson Center, Wilson Center, Voice of America, Newsweek, International IDEA      

On 3 January, the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a devastating dual bombing at a commemoration ceremony in the city of Kerman, in southeastern Iran. The event was held in honour of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. The attack resulted in nearly 100 deaths and more than 200 injuries, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Iran since the 1979 revolution. In late January, it was revealed that the U.S. had previously warned Iran of a potential ISIS threat, but it is unclear whether these warnings were heeded. Iranian dissidents have suggested the Iranian regime could be involved in the attack as a way to rally support amidst internal discontent. The situation remains tense, with fears of further violence in the country ahead of the legislative elections due in March.

Sources: The New York Times, Iran International, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal

A surge of executions has been reported in Iran. Authorities executed numerous protesters in January, and an additional eleven are awaiting execution. The executed include Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old protester with a mental health disability, whose death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court in July 2023 (though the Chief Justice later vetoed the retrial). Four Kurdish dissidents were also executed after secretive trials and allegations of torture. The Iranian authorities have refused to return the bodies to their families, inciting a labour strike in Iran’s Kurdish region.

These actions have been condemned by the United Nations, and several national and international rights groups have called on Iranian authorities to halt the planned executions. This increase in executions is part of a broader crackdown on protesters and dissidents in the country. Those targeted have often been subjected to unfair trials, raising serious human rights concerns. Despite international condemnations and efforts to engage with Iran, the execution rate has increased, with over 800 people reportedly executed in 2023, the highest rate per capita in the world.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, TIME, Iran International (1), Amnesty International, United Nations, Iran International (2)

Iran has reinstated the ‘morality police’ following a 10-month withdrawal due to nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. This reintroduction is accompanied by the regime's proclaimed "softer" approach towards hijab enforcement, with President Ebrahim Raisi advocating for respectful dialogue. The renewed campaign was announced on 17 July, with a strategy emphasizing persuasion and counselling with women not observing the hijab, rather than punitive measures. The new approach is also marked by the introduction of a law currently being drafted by Iran’s Judiciary committee of the legislature (Majlis). The aim of this legislation is to outline the norms for wearing the hijab and specify penalties for non-compliance. This legislative move indicates a shift towards legal mechanisms for enforcing hijab compliance, rather than relying solely on the morality police.

The regime's reinstatement of the morality police and changes to enforce Islamic dress codes are viewed sceptically, seen as a deceptive tactic to intensify repression and curb unrest especially ahead of Amini's death anniversary and rising female protests. Despite government efforts, many women continue to resist hijab enforcement efforts.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, Al Arabiya News