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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 5 deceMber 2022
Iran morality police status unclear after ‘closure’ comment

By JACK JEFFERY doing our best to come up
Associated Press with a thoughtful solution
CAIRO (AP) — An Iranian to deal with this phenom-
lawmaker said Sunday enon that hurts everyone’s
that Iran’s government is heart,” said Montazeri,
“paying attention to the without offering details.
people’s real demands,” Saturday’s announcement
state media reported, a could signal an attempt to
day after a top official sug- appease the public and
gested that the country’s find a way to end the pro-
morality police whose con- tests in which, according to
duct helped trigger months rights groups, at least 470
of protests has been shut people were killed. More
down. than 18,000 people have
The role of the morality po- been arrested in the pro-
lice, which enforces veiling tests and the violent secu-
laws, came under scrutiny rity force crackdown that
after a detainee, 22-year- followed, according to Hu-
old Mahsa Amini, died in man Rights Activists in Iran,
its custody in mid-Septem- a group monitoring the
ber. Amini had been held demonstrations.
for allegedly violating the Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow
Islamic Republic’s strict at the Arab Gulf States In-
dress codes. Her death un- In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the stitute in Washington, said
leashed a wave of unrest AP outside Iran, Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by Montazeri’s statement
the morality police, in Tehran, Oct. 1, 2022.
that has grown into calls for Associated Press about closing the moral-
the downfall of Iran’s cleri- ity police could be an at-
cal rulers. protests. The Associated Press has ecutor, provided no further tempt to pacify domestic
Iran’s chief prosecutor Mo- “Both the administration been unable to confirm the details about the future of unrest without making real
hamed Jafar Montazeri and parliament insisted current status of the force, the morality police or if its concessions to protesters.
said on Saturday the mo- that paying attention to established in 2005 with the closure was nationwide When asked about Mon-
rality police “had been the people’s demand that task of arresting people and permanent. However tazeri’s statement, Iranian
closed,” the semi-official is mainly economic is the who violate the country’s he added that Iran’s ju- Foreign Minister Hossein
news agency ISNA report- best way for achieving sta- Islamic dress code. diciary will ‘’continue to Amirabdollahian gave no
ed. The agency did not bility and confronting the Since September, there has monitor behavior at the direct answer. ‘’Be sure that
provide details, and state riots,” he said, following a been a reported decline in community level.’’ in Iran, within the frame-
media hasn’t reported closed meeting with sev- the number of morality po- In a report by ISNA on Fri- work of democracy and
such a purported decision. eral senior Iranian officials, lice officers across Iranian day, Montazeri was quoted freedom, which very clear-
In a report carried by ISNA including President Ebra- cities and an increase in as saying that the govern- ly exists in Iran, everything is
on Sunday, lawmaker Ne- him Raisi. women walking in public ment was reviewing the going very well,’’ Amirab-
zamoddin Mousavi sig- Mousavi did not address without headscarves, con- mandatory hijab law. “We dollahian said, speaking
naled a less confrontation- the reported closure of the trary to Iranian law. are working fast on the is- during a visit to Belgrade,
al approach toward the morality police. Montazeri, the chief pros- sue of hijab and we are Serbia.q

El Salvador sends 10,000 police, soldiers

to seal off town

money from businesses of homicides in late March. ing or leaving the town was
and ruled many neighbor- Rights groups have criti- questioned or searched.
hoods of the capital, San cized the mass roundups, About 50 suspects were
Salvador. saying they often sweep detained in two days.
The troops blocked roads up young men based “It worked,” Bukele said.
going in and out of the on their appearance or The government estimates
township of Soyapango, where they live. that homicides dropped
checking people’s docu- It was part of what Bukele 38% in the first 10 months of
ments. Special teams went had called in late Novem- the year compared to the
into the town looking for ber “Phase Five” of the same period of 2021.
A resident looks out from her doorway as a soldier takes part gang suspects. crackdown. Bukele said Bukele requested Con-
in an operation in search of gang members, in Soyapango, El “Starting now, the town- such tactics worked in the gress grant him extraordi-
Salvador, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. ship of Soyapango is town of Comasagua in nary powers after gangs
Associated Press completely surrounded,” October. were blamed for 62 kill-
Bukele wrote in his Twitter In October, more than ings on March 26, and
SAN SALVADOR, El Salva- for gang members. account. He posted vid- 2,000 soldiers and police that emergency decree
dor (AP) — The govern- The operation was one eos showing ranks of rifle- surrounded and closed has been renewed every
ment of El Salvador sent of the largest mobiliza- toting soldiers. off Comasagua in order month since then. It sus-
10,000 soldiers and police tions yet in President Nay- More than 58,000 people to search for street gang pends some Constitution-
to seal off a town on the ib Bukele’s nine-month- have been jailed since a members accused in a kill- al rights and gives police
outskirts of the nation’s old crackdown on street state of emergency was ing. Drones flew over the more powers to arrest and
capital Saturday to search gangs that long extorted declared following a wave town, and everyone enter- hold suspects.q