On September 13, 2022, Tongs Amine brutally beaten by the so-called morality police. She wore a veil, which is mandatory in Iran, but it did not cover her head “correctly”. This was enough for the officers to drag him into the van but they beat him so hard. violence They put him in a brain coma. Three days later, this young Iranian woman of Kurdish origin, who was only 22 years old, died in the hospital.
Her murder aroused discomfort in the society and created a wave of reaction. protests Strict clothing laws mandating the use of headscarves since 1979 have been condemned. Failure to do so entails the following penalties: prison up to two months, but the penalty for participating in demonstrations is much higher. In addition, the police even urged the slightest opposition to “routinely arbitrarily detain women and girls, torture “and other ill-treatment,” according to Amnesty International. Many even challenged the country’s theocratic regime. ayatollahs they cut their hair and burn their handkerchiefs in public.
Almost a year later and despite harsh conditions oppressionThe protest movement is still active. For this reason Teheran turning to artificial intelligence (AI) To tighten their control over the citizens. According to NGO Article 19, authorities use security cameras as follows: face recognition It allows them to identify women who do not wear veils. Thus, the police can punish them without directly intervening.
Data of all citizens
Protests against the veil law have been the most serious protests the country has experienced since 2019, when gas prices set the streets on fire. More than 500 people died as a result of police excesses, and some were sentenced to death. Also open character feminist This increased the pressure on the Islamic regime, causing the demonstrations to spread around the world. Although some 80,000 prisoners were pardoned in March, including those who condemned Amini’s murder, various dissidents pointed out that the amnesty was intended to appease protesters.
In 2015, Tehran created a national database that it stores. biometric data citizenship information such as fingerprints or irises. This information is particularly sensitive as these physical features are unique and allow individuals to be identified. According to Amnesty International, more and more women in Iran are receiving complaints, including photos at home, for not wearing a headscarf while driving. More than one million notifications have been sent since April 15.
gender discrimination
Tehran continues to oil the repression mechanism to scare off critics. It is therefore preparing to pass the Chastity and Headscarf Culture Promotion Law, a new and even more brutal regulation that equates not wearing the veil with nudity and punishes it with up to five years in prison. other penalties, such as confiscation of the vehicle, withholding of wages or inability to access banking services. On August 13, Iran’s parliament stifled public debate by approving that a commission should run this behind closed doors. The law will also prosecute those who practice law. social networks for not wearing a scarf.
“Given that the authorities seem to rule women and girls with systemic discrimination with the aim of compelling them to surrender completely, the bill could be described as a form of gender discrimination,” UN experts said. said.
The regime must have bought these security cameras from the Chinese company Tiandy, and the Chinese giant is suspected of buying them. Huawei He could also venture into the business of selling facial recognition systems used to persecute women in the country. According to hacker group Ghiyam Ta Sarnegouni, Tehran will also use Bosch security cameras manufactured in Sweden and the Netherlands and modified to suit their repressive purposes.
scare method
Although the actual capacity of this technologyState media outlets such as the Fars news agency showed on television how their new systems, which can detect violations of the law, work. They say that every exposed face, whether it’s day or night, will be identified.
Authorities have been adopting this method for a long time. intimidation. The Chairman of the Council Committee of the Islamic Council said in a recent statement, “After the first warning with a short message, those who insist on ignoring the headscarf requirement in public service places will be denied access to services.” said. “If these people continue to insist on complying with the rule, the matter will be referred to the judicial authorities for further investigation.”