2nd anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death: What happened in Iran? What is the situation now?

Exactly 2 years ago, a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died after being detained by the morality police for allegedly violating headscarf rules.

Eyewitnesses had stated that she was beaten inside a police van.

The Iranian administration, however, persistently denied that they caused Amini's death and argued that she died from sudden heart failure.

However, in March, a United Nations investigative committee stated that there was evidence of blunt force trauma on Amini's body while she was in police custody and that they were certain the physical violence she endured led to her death.

Amini's death created a massive wave of anger against the country's morality police and religious leadership. While the protests ended following interventions by security forces that resulted in numerous deaths, Amini's death represents a turning point for many Iranians.

BBC Persian spoke with 18 women to understand what has changed since those days. Pseudonyms were used for the women's safety.

MORALITY POLICE PATROL THE STREETS

Although they agree that the rules are not enforced as strictly as they were before Amini's death, they say that the authorities have begun to take action once again.

Even though they withdrew for a while due to the backlash following Amini's death, the morality police began patrolling the streets again last year.

Security cameras have been installed on roads and in public transport to identify women who do not wear headscarves.

Vehicles with drivers or passengers not wearing headscarves can be confiscated.

Last year, during the first anniversary of Amini's death, the Iranian Parliament passed a controversial law that increased prison sentences and fines for those who violate dress codes.

SOME MEN HELP WOMEN

The pressure regarding dress codes has also intensified disagreements on the matter.

While some men show solidarity with women by trying to help them evade the morality police, others assist in the enforcement of the rules.

Shadi from Karaj believes that the tension regarding the headscarf has increased over the last year.

According to Shadi, men who supported women in the past are now more inclined to criticize their clothing choices. She believes this is linked to the return of the morality police, the introduction of new penalties, and the threat of closure faced by businesses that serve women deemed to be violating dress codes.

For this reason, she chooses her clothes in a way that allows her to maintain her freedom without encountering problems.

WOMEN WHO DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES ARE PUNISHED

Reports of women being detained, beaten, or fined for not complying with dress codes have pitted determined daughters, who are committed to continuing on their chosen path despite the dangers, against their worried families.

Rojin says, "The detention or fining of women does not just affect the individual. It becomes a problem for the entire family. I have seen many cases where families try to convince their daughters to wear a headscarf outside using different methods."

IRANIAN REVOLUTION

The strict dress codes in Iran date back to the early 1980s.

The country turned into an Islamic Republic with the 1979 revolution, in which the monarchy was overthrown and control passed to the clergy led by Ayatollah Khomeini.

Khomeini issued a fatwa requiring all women, regardless of their religion or nationality, to wear a headscarf and veil.

The morality police were tasked, among other duties, with ensuring that women complied with the rules that the government deemed "proper" attire.

The morality police have the authority to stop women and inspect whether their hair is too visible, whether their trousers or coats are too short or tight, or whether they are wearing too much makeup.