Imprisonment, exile, lashes, and fines await defiant women and youth
In a recent development, the General Director of the Justice Department in Fars Province announced the issuance of verdicts against individuals who had attacked a woman engaged in “promoting virtue” within a recreational garden in Shiraz. (The state-run Sharqdaily.com, August 17, 2023)
Seyyed Kazem Moussavi revealed that three verdicts had been rendered in relation to the incident at Narenjestan-e Qavam. These penalties encompassed internal exile, flogging, and substantial fines.
Moussavi emphasized the seriousness with which they approach cases of “promoting virtue,” aiming to deter any such future acts. However, he refrained from delving into the specifics of the verdicts.
The accused perpetrator, currently held in temporary custody at a military prison, is reportedly a member of the State Security Force. Furthermore, the manager of Narenjestan-e Qavam has also been apprehended.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the woman, who was “promoting virtue,” was accompanied by her two children and two other individuals who were recording the scene.
Prior to the altercation, the virtue promoter reportedly insulted an unveiled woman, punched her in the chest, and attempted to forcibly place a veil on her head. This confrontation ultimately escalated into a physical altercation.
Amidst the incident, calls have emerged on social media platforms, demanding the release of the complete CCTV footage to provide a comprehensive view of the events.
In a separate but related development, a man and two women who defied compulsory Hijab regulations in the city of Arak have faced legal consequences.
They were each sentenced to one year of imprisonment, 74 lashes, and fines following complaints lodged by “promoters of virtue.”
Abdul-Mehdi Moussavi, the General Director of the Department of Justice in the Central Province, disclosed that these individuals were accused of disrupting public order, creating disturbances in medical facilities, causing disturbances in public spaces, and appearing without the religious veil in public areas. These verdicts, Moussavi noted, are subject to appeal. (The state-run Hamshahrionline.ir, August 14, 2023)
