Iran’s attorney general says morality police is disbanded, others say no

Protesters wave a giant Iranian flag, December 3 2022. Iranians of Toulouse organized a protest in solidarity with women in Iran, following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's “morality police.”

Protesters wave a giant Iranian flag, December 3 2022. Iranians of Toulouse organized a protest in solidarity with women in Iran, following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's “morality police.” Credit: Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect.

Conflicting reports about the state of Iran’s morality police are spreading after the country’s attorney general said the entity has been disbanded. Iran’s state-sponsored news media says his words were misinterpreted. The abolition of the police force would be a huge concession to protesters who have been demonstrating for the last three months over the death of Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old died in the custody of Iran’s morality police in September after she was arrested for improperly wearing her hijab.

Credits

Guest:

  • Arzoo Osanloo - legal anthropologist, director of University of Washington’s Middle East Center

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser, Marcelle Hutchins