He stressed, “Police officers will certainly deal with cases where people promote western styles by what they wear. It is possible that we prevent the person from travelling. We will file legal cases against these people and hand them over to judiciary officials.” (The state-run ISNA news agency – July 1, 2019)
Earlier, Tehran Police Chief Hossein Rahimi had reiterated on the need for women to observe the compulsory veil. He said, “Removing the veil and improper veiling are considered among obvious social crimes.” (The state-run ROKNA news agency – June 1, 2019)
On June 4, Mohammad Abdollah-pour, Commander of the Quds Corps, announced the formation of 2,000 anti-vice teams in Gilan Province, northern Iran, to give verbal and practical warnings to improperly veiled women. He reiterated, “The issue of chastity and veiling are not an ordinary issue, but an issue of political significance and security for the country.” (The state-run ROKNA news agency – June 4, 2019)
He also announced that since the beginning of this Iranian new year (in less than three months) they had dealt with 28,238 so-called improperly-veiled women in Gilan and filed cases against 64 of them.
The clerical regime officials have also announced that they plan to station patrols in recreational areas to monitor women’s observance of the compulsory veil and give them verbal warnings. (The state-run ISNA news agency – June 24, 2019)
Just last month, the circulation of a video clip in social media showing the violent of arrest of a young woman by a plainclothes agent of the State Security Force led to public outrage. The young woman said to be around 15 years old was playing water guns with her friends in a Tehran park on June 22, 2019.
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Sanaz Allahyari went on hunger strike to accompany and support her husband.
Ms. Allahyari had been detained in the notorious Ward 209 of Evin when she was transferred to the general ward in early May. She has been deprived of receiving medical treatment despite her serious illnesses and is not being sent to hospital.
Amnesty International issued a statement on July 3, 2019, about the three journalists detained for reporting on workers’ rights and protests. AI indicated that they had been held in prolonged solitary confinement and interrogated without a lawyer present. AI added, “Sanaz Alahyari has been suffering from recurrent stomach pains, weight loss and severe shaking in her hands and legs for at least two months, and urgently requires medical treatment.”
In other news, civil activist Iran Rahpaykar continues to remain in limbo in the detention center of Sanandaj, capital of the Iranian Kurdistan Province, despite passage of 1.5 months since her arrest. She has been taken several times to the Department of Intelligence for interrogation. Ms. Rahpaykar suffers from asthma and her health condition has been deteriorating day by day due to lack of medical care.
Elena Allahverdi, an employee of the Ministry of Oil, is also held in the general ward of Evin Prison under undecided status. She was arrested in March 2018 by forces of the IRGC counter intelligence and taken to the IRGC detention ward in Evin. Despite passage of 16 months since her arrest and while her case has been sent to the court, her legal status remains unknown. Elena Allahverdi is 36 years old and has spent one year of her detention in solitary confinement and under continuous interrogations.
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A group of Iranian educators of the Literacy Movement in Tehran held a gathering on Tuesday, July 2, outside the National Organization of Employment Administration to demand implementation of an act adopted by the parliament in 2016 obliging the Ministry of Education to permanently recruit educators and teachers on temporary contracts. The protests by contract teachers and educators of the Literacy Movement have been going on for more than two years in front of the Ministry of Education, the parliament and now, the National Organization of Employment Administration but they have not yet received any response to their demands. Some of the educators of the Literacy Movement have to travel 12 hours to reach Tehran. (The state-run ILNA news agency – July 2, 2019)
Most of these educators and teachers working on temporary contracts are women.
On Wednesday, July 3, a group of defrauded clients of Shideh Airline Coop gathered outside the Judiciary Complex in Tehran and demanded their properties. The airline coop has not delivered the houses belonging to the employees of Mehrabad and Parand airports after ten years. The women in this protest held a placard which read, “Major Swindle in the National Airline Company.”
Literacy Movement educators and teachers demand permanent jobs
On the same day, a group of teachers and retirees gathered outside the building of the National Retirement Fund in Tehran.
On Tuesday, July 2, a group of workers of the municipality of Sarfaryab, held a gathering outside the municipality to demand 4 months of their unpaid wages. Sarfaryab is located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad Province. (The state-run ILNA news agency – July 2, 2019)
On Monday, July 1, 2019, a group of employees of the University of Lorestan also held a gathering inside the university campus to demand their wages unpaid for three months.
On the same day, a group of stewardesses of Mahtab Sirjam Company in Andimeshk, Khuzestan Province, held a gathering outside the station in Andimeshk, protesting lack of job security at this company and against the lay-off of their co-workers. Mahtab Company is laying off 57 of its employees who have between 15 to 20 years of experience.
Also on July 1, a group of clients of Ramak Khodro Company held a gathering in protest to the newly announced high prices for the vehicles they have already bought. The company has refused to deliver their cars. Their protest was held outside the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade in Tehran. Women actively participated in this protest. (The state-run Mashreq news website – July 1, 2019)
