Iran allegedly shutting down 'morality police' after protests; critics brand news 'disinformation'

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Iran is reportedly shutting down the country's morality police after an internal uprising and violent protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.

The revelation was made by Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri in remarks during a meeting Saturday, according to the BBC and The New York Times citing Iranian state media agencies.

The news has been called "disinformation" by Iranian journalists critical of whether Iran would follow through with shutting down its controversial police force.

"The morality police had nothing to do with the Judiciary and the same institution that established it, has now abolished it," Montazeri said.

As noted by NBC News, Montazeri is not responsible for overseeing the morality police and it remains unclear if they would be completely abolished or return in another form.

The decision to shut down the morality police comes after months of violent protests in the county after the death of Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of the morality police after she was arrested for not properly wearing a hijab.

Montazeri said Thursday that authorities in the country were reviewing the country's laws requiring veils for women and would make a decision on them within 15 days.

Iranian journalists such as Masih Alinejad have called the news "disinformation" and said that "it's a tactic to stop the uprising."

"Protesters are not facing guns and bullets to abolish morality police or forced hijab," she said in a tweet. "They want to end Islamic regime."

Iranian women who spoke with the BBC on Sunday said that "just because the government has decided to dismantle morality police it doesn't mean the protests are ending."

"A revolution is what we have," another woman said. "Hijab was the start of it and we don't want anything, anything less, but death for the dictator and a regime change."