A morality police officer in Iran, July 23, 2007. (Credit: Behrouz Mehri / AFP)
Police have ended an unauthorized protest in Iran outside Parliament, demanding the implementation of a law tightening sanctions against women who do not wear the hijab, the judiciary reported on Saturday evening.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, women in Iran have been required to cover their hair in public. However, in recent years, many have openly defied this, particularly in the streets of Tehran, as a sign of resistance to one of the ideological pillars of the Islamic Republic.
In December, a new law was passed in Parliament that would impose stricter sanctions on violators, but the authorities have suspended its implementation.
"The police intervened on Friday evening to disperse the protesters [...] after 48 days of an illegal gathering" outside the Iranian Parliament, the official news agency Irna reported, publishing a photo of protesters dressed in black chadors, a garment that covers the entire body. "They were asked to disperse and refrain from disturbing" public order, the judiciary's Mizan news agency stated on Saturday evening, quoting the police. "Unfortunately, a small number [about 30 people] resisted the police and, in some cases, continued their sit-in by hurling insults, displaying violence, and showing disrespect," Mizan emphasized.
A video published by Mizan shows a nighttime altercation between the protesters and the security forces, who ordered them to leave the area.
In 2022, the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman arrested for allegedly violating the dress code, sparked an unprecedented wave of protests in the country. Since then, many women have refused to wear the hijab or have increasingly exposed their hair.
The contents of the new law have not been officially published. However, according to media reports, the law includes a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine equivalent to $6,000 (5,718 euros) for those who encourage "nudity" or "indecency."
This law divides Iranian politics, religious authorities, and even civil society. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian himself raised doubts in December about the relevance of the new law.
Police have ended an unauthorized protest in Iran outside Parliament, demanding the implementation of a law tightening sanctions against women who do not wear the hijab, the judiciary reported on Saturday evening.Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, women in Iran have been required to cover their hair in public. However, in recent years, many have openly defied this, particularly in the streets of Tehran, as a sign of resistance to one of the ideological pillars of the Islamic Republic.In December, a new law was passed in Parliament that would impose stricter sanctions on violators, but the authorities have suspended its implementation."The police intervened on Friday evening to disperse the protesters [...] after 48 days of an illegal gathering" outside the Iranian Parliament, the official news agency Irna reported,...