Cases Of Moral Policing Led Deaths On The Rise In Iran
-
Roshan Amiri
- . September 28, 2022
- . Update: September 29, 2022 4:01 am
Two women again lost their lives to dubious charges by Iranian government called the ‘Corruption on Earth’. Protests have already been rocking the country over the death of a young lady of 22 years who apparently died in police custody over moral policing.
As the protests reach the 11th day, more harrowing news continues to flow in about women losing their lives to moral policing. The lady previously killed; her name is Mahsa Amini. Her head covering was reportedly too loose and an official coroner’s report is pending on this matter too.
The Iran police seems to be working an independent entity which has made a public statement to deal with protests on their own. The government doesn’t seem to be taking any onus of violence being meted on women and men alike.
Read | Iran and IAEA restart talks amid nuclear deal deadlock
Charges of human trafficking have been levied on these two women who the authorities accused (identified as Zahra Sedighi and Elham Chobdar) of unique terms like “corruption on earth.” The term is often used to describe attempts to undermine the Iranian government, saying they exploited young women. However, foreign-based rights groups described the two women as local gay and lesbian rights activists.
Dubious charges have been repeatedly issued over women in Iran over moral policing attempts, something that the world human rights groups continue to revolt against.
International rights watchdog Amnesty International had earlier this year identified Sedighi as an “Iranian gender-nonconforming human rights defender,” describing her monthslong detention as stemming from her “sexual orientation and gender identity as well as her social media posts and statements in defense of LGBT rights.”
Under Iranian law, crimes such as murder, rape, drug trafficking and sodomy can lead to the death penalty. However, the human rights groups are referring this to as harassment due to their sexual orientations.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, a Norwegian-registered watchdog that monitors rights violations in Iran’s western Kurdistan province, for example had reported that security forces detained Chobdar as well over “promoting homosexuality.” Remains illegal in Iran and can lead to death penalty without judicial proceedings.
