Iran Abandons Stricter Clothing Controls for Women

tehran - Iranian government backs down from enforcing stricter Islamic clothing regulations, signaling a shift in approach.

Iran Abandons Stricter Clothing Controls

The Iranian government has decided not to implement a recently approved law that imposed harsher penalties on women who do not cover their neck and head, a requirement enforced since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that President Masoud Pezeshkian chose not to implement the law, with approval from key officials. Zarif mentioned that despite being against the law, many women in Tehran do not cover their hair, as the government has opted not to exert pressure on them.

According to Zarif, this move signifies that Iran is moving in the right direction, though he acknowledged that more needs to be done. The law also addressed stricter penalties for promoting 'nudity' or 'indecency'.

The law was supposed to come into effect in December but faced delays due to concerns raised by Pezeshkian. UN human rights experts criticized the law as a clear violation of fundamental rights and urged Tehran to retract it. A government spokesperson stated that certain provisions of the law might have serious social consequences.

Women in Iran can face fines and imprisonment for not wearing a hijab, although the clothing regulations are not consistently enforced. The new legislation included harsher penalties for girls aged 12 and above, with potential sentences of up to fifteen years in prison or the death penalty.

In recent years, there has been significant opposition in Iran against the strict clothing regulations. Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022, widespread protests erupted for months. Amini was detained for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.