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Iran’s Provincial Authorities Determined to Enforce Hijab Rules

April 24, 2023
2 min read
Under the law, Oliaeifard said, violators of mandatory hijab laws should only receive a fine
Under the law, Oliaeifard said, violators of mandatory hijab laws should only receive a fine

Every day, authorities across Iran are announcing new measures to enforce mandatory hijab laws, triggering criticism from lawyers and human rights activists.

The police commander of the north-eastern province of Golestan recently said that car owners who don’t abide by the Islamic Republic’s dress code will receive warnings by SMS. He said the vehicle will be impounded after the third warning. 

Meanwhile, the chief prosecutor in Isfahan province announced that the judiciary, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the provincial Headquarters of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice agreed to set up joint teams to deal with those who violate hijab laws.

According to Mohammed Oliaeifard, a lawyer and member of the International Bar Association, this move is illegal. 

The IRGC is not responsible for dealing with "non-security crimes such as the issue of removing hijab, which falls under the police force's duties," he said, adding that the Headquarters of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice “can only issue verbal warnings." 

Under the law, Oliaeifard said, violators of mandatory hijab laws should only receive a fine. 

“Arresting people and bringing them to court for the same offense may lead to bigger problems such as conflicts in detention, as seen in the case of Mahsa Amini. Moreover, taking thousands of people to court every day over hijab is not feasible for the judicial system," according to the lawyer.

All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in public. The requirement has been contentious in Iran for decades, with various attempts made by the authorities to enforce it. 

The authorities vowed determination in enforcing the mandatory hijab rule as the number of women defying it has increased since the September 2022 death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly.

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