Iranian authorities do not know how to restrain the wave of women who no longer want to wear the veil and decide to show their heads uncovered even on social networks. Their last resort is to sentence women to “psychological treatment” who refuse to comply with the mandatory headscarf law. The solution is disliked by care associations, who see this choice as judicial manipulation of psychiatry. Although Iran’s Islamic-origin state has resumed intensifying its repressive measures, it is unable to enforce the headscarf law and thus shows all its inherent weakness. However, there is a risk of reaching even more extreme repressive judicial measures.
Pressure for disobedience
After Mahsa Amini was killed in police custody in September 2022 for wearing the “wrong” headscarf, many more women in Iran began going public without a headscarf. Various personalities joined the movement, including female athletes and actresses who took off their veils by demanding freedom of choice as a token of solidarity. Widespread revolt is increasingly troubling Iranian power, which is looking for new ways to force women to cover their heads and hair. After the murder of the young woman, in addition to violently suppressing the demonstrations, he applied for fines and confiscated the vehicle by sending a text message to the women who were seen without a veil at the wheel. Then there was pressure on employers, even in the private sector, to demand the dismissal of the “disobedient”. Or the closure of shops that accept uncovered women. The list of repressions put in place by the authorities is growing enormously, but its effectiveness is shaky. More recently, the judiciary has contributed to ‘psychological treatment’ for those who refuse to wear a headscarf.
Convictions for “mental disorder”
Among the symbolic figures of this “violation” stands out 61-year-old actress Afsaneh Bayegan, who has appeared on Instagram several times and more recently during a public ceremony with her head uncovered. A court sentenced the star to a two-year suspended sentence and an obligation to visit a “psychological center” once a week to “treat anti-family mental personality disorder”, announced by Fars news in mid-July. Agency. Afsaneh Bayegan is not the only person sentenced to such a sentence. A similar fate befell Azadeh Samadi, another famous Iranian actress, who was diagnosed with “antisocial personality disorder” by the judges. The actress wore a hat instead of a veil in public at a funeral. She will also have to go to a “psych center” once a week for therapy. Another woman was diagnosed by a Tehran court with “an infectious psychological disorder resulting in promiscuous sex”.
The reaction of psychiatrists
The psychiatry industry has also started to react to the increase in these penalties, which have increased to punish ordinary women as well as celebrities. Gholam- Hossein Mohseni Ejei, who accused the judiciary of “abusing psychiatry for other purposes”. According to reports from France 24, the complaint states that “The diagnosis of mental disorders is the responsibility of the psychiatrist, not the judge.” “Psychological treatment” is a method that the Iranian government resorts to even the smallest. According to the Iranian minister, schoolchildren arrested following Mahsa Amini’s death during protests in October 2022 were detained in “medical-psychological centers” to undergo “re-education” to prevent them from becoming “anti-social”. Education Yusuf Nuri. The decision was criticized by the Iranian teachers’ union for fear that “re-education centers would turn into military camps”.
The failure of the Iranian authorities
According to Azadeh Kian, a professor of political science at Paris VII Diderot University and an expert on Iran, the decision to seek psychiatric treatment “shows above all a lack of power,” as he told France24. “[Le autorità] They tried everything and it didn’t work. They’re getting weaker, they’re forced to take measures like resorting to these psychological centres,” argued the professor. Any protest, Kian predicted. The professor also fears an escalation in terms of regulatory and judicial pressure. A bill was introduced that would impose even harsher punishments on women. Kian assumed that, in addition to forfeiting their civil rights, those who most openly exposed themselves could face the death penalty. Meanwhile, judicial repression has already reached the point of psychological torture of female “rebels” , Tehran province, Washing bodies for a month in a morgue in the capital.His mistake was to drive without a cover.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
