“Nothing indicates” that the situation of women in Iran will improve, according to Washington

MISE À DAY

The United States said on Monday that it sees no sign that the situation for women in Iran will improve after the unexpected announcement of the abolition of the morality police.

“Unfortunately , there is no evidence that Iranian leaders are improving the way they treat women and girls or stopping the violence they inflict on peaceful protesters,” a State Department spokesperson said, declining to “comment on the findings. ambiguous or vague assertions” of Iranian power.

For the head of the American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, it remains to be seen if the regime will “take into account” the aspirations of the Iranian people, expressed through these demonstrations.

“The efforts of repression , the use of violence, people's arrests… it's not a sign of strength, it's a sign of weakness”, declared the Secretary of State, on the sidelines of trade discussions with the European Union in the suburbs of Washington.

Iran's Attorney General's announcement of the abolition of the morality police over the weekend was seen as a gesture towards protesters, but some Iranian human rights activists doubt its reality.

They also believe that abolishing the morality police would in no way change the obligation to wear the veil, imposed by a law dating from 1983.

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Iran is rocked by a protest movement not seen since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, sparked by the September 16 death of a young Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, after her arrest by the vice police.

< p>In early November, US Vice President Kamala Harris launched an initiative to remove Iran from the UN Commission on Women.

A call renewed on Sunday by the US ambassador United in the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The Iranian government “should not” sit on this body “charged with promoting gender equality and the emancipation of women,” she tweeted , calling for it to be “withdrawn”.

A public petition to this effect had received more than 165,000 signatures on Monday.

A vote on Iran's withdrawal from this commission is due to meet next week at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

On Monday, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs angères, Nasser Kanani, accused Washington of pushing Iran out “with the help of certain European countries”, an “illegal” and “political purpose” step.