The Iranian government is reportedly planning to introduce “mobile courts” to crack down on women violating the hijab dress code, according to documents obtained by BBC Persian from April and May. The leaked documents reveal that even schoolgirls and celebrities could face punishment for breaching the dress code. Girls may face action from the education ministry, while celebrities could be charged with up to 10 years in prison for “promoting corruption.” The Iranian government has not officially commented on the reports, and an Iranian newspaper that published a concise section of one of the directives has been charged with publicizing classified documents.
The leaked directives were reportedly approved by Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and are part of the controversial “Hijab and Chastity Bill,” which is currently under review by the Guardian Council before potentially becoming law. The bill, passed by Iran’s parliament in September, imposes strict punishment on women defying hijab laws, with potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison and fines between 180 million and 360 million rials ($3,651-$7,302). The legislation also extends penalties to business owners serving women not wearing the mandatory headscarf and activists organizing against it.
The Chastity and Hijab Bill will be implemented on a trial basis for three years. The move follows anti-hijab protests that erupted after the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022, who died for defying hijab laws. Although the protests subsided earlier this year due to a crackdown on dissenters, some women continued to flout hijab rules in public. The leaked documents suggest a more stringent approach by the Iranian government to enforce hijab compliance, extending punishments to various segments of society, including schoolgirls and celebrities.
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