What's happened
Iran has announced plans to open a clinic aimed at providing 'scientific and psychological treatment' for women who defy mandatory hijab laws. The initiative has sparked outrage among human rights advocates, who view it as a chilling attempt to enforce conformity and suppress female autonomy in the wake of ongoing protests.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Metro, Mehri Talebi Darestani, head of the Women and Family Department, stated the clinic will focus on 'dignity, modesty, chastity, and hijab.' However, Sima Sabet, a UK-based Iranian journalist, described the initiative as 'shameful,' emphasizing the chilling effect of such clinics on societal conformity. The Guardian highlighted that the clinic's announcement follows a series of violent crackdowns on women, including the case of Roshanak Molaei Alishah, who was detained after confronting a harasser. This reflects a broader pattern of state violence against women resisting hijab laws, as noted by Amnesty International, which reported evidence of torture and forced medication for dissenters.
How we got here
The announcement follows the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The Iranian government has intensified its crackdown on women resisting hijab laws, leading to increased arrests and reports of torture.
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Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
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Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization says it has more than eight million members and supporters around the world.
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On 16 September 2022, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini (Persian: مهسا امینی), also known as Jina Amini or Zhina Amini (Persian: ژینا امینی; Kurdish: ژینا ئەمینی), died in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstance