Thread by @borzou

Iran’s attorney general has made some ambiguous statements that could possibly be construed as an end to the morality police, but may also suggest that judiciary wants to disassociate itself from the institution. Statements cited in press do not equal a change in policy.

Here’s extract from Isna. He is saying the judiciary has nothing to do with the morality police, and its operations were shut down by the same organ that established it. No declaration that it’s been abolished. No real confirmation even operations stopped shorturl.at/cPU68

So amazing how many news outlets are going with the "Iran abolishes morality police" line based on a convoluted quote from one official. In reality morality police have been inactive since protests started, but there is no substantive news on their future.

Update: Iran state television is reporting that the morality police has definitely NOT been removed.

This is the report from Iran’s official Arabic language channel, denying that the morality police has been officially disbanded alalam.ir/news/6464578/%…

To be fair to the regime in this case, it wasn’t even them who spread this tale. Some lesser-known official said something ambivalent that was tucked into the 10th paragraph of a report and then western media picked up on it and went crazy.

https://twitter.com/JinaFreeIran/status/1599400511836688384

It has been largely inactive and invisible since September 16

https://twitter.com/alishihabi/status/1599402198303051777

There used to be a sardonic joke that Iran would recognize Israel before it would remove the mandatory hijab. That might have changed since September 16, but it gives an indication of just how passionately the regime is committed to imposing dress codes on women.

This is inaccurate and has been refuted by regime media. There is no evidence or announcement that anything has been abolished nytimes.com/2022/12/04/wor…

I agree, 100%

https://twitter.com/shayan86/status/1599422575473397762

In more than 20 years of covering Iran, nothing has ever been clear-cut and unambiguous. A convoluted quote by a second-tier official means almost nothing. There’s been no statement by the SNSC. There has been no report from Majlis. There’s been nothing from the president.

Before “guidance patrols” in 2005, lawless morality enforcers like Basij & religious “committees” would harass women and couples. Putting morality enforcers under the police was actually meant as a reform. Removing them without changing the law means this