Women in Iran face up to ten years in prison for not wearing hijab under tough news laws that will be passed by the country’s ruling theocracy.
Those who violate the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code already face harsh punishments and extrajudicial reprisals, but the new laws “aim to suppress women and girls into complete submission,” according to the United Nations.
Even businesses that serve non-hijab women risk being shut down under the stricter dress code that one UN expert says would amount to “gender apartheid.”
The move to implement the new code comes a year after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died on September 16, 2022 after her arrest in Tehran for allegedly not wearing her hijab correctly.
His death sparked months of nationwide protests in which hundreds more people were killed, including dozens of security personnel, before authorities moved to quell what they called “riots,” including restrictions on social media use. social.
Women in Iran face up to ten years in prison for not wearing hijab under tough news laws that will be passed by the country’s ruling theocracy. Pictured: An Iranian police force on a street during the resurgence of the moral police in Tehran, Iran, on July 16, 2023.
The new hijab and chastity bill details punishments including more than 60 lashes, heavy fines and prison terms for violators.
It also warns businesses that they could be shut down if they are found to be serving women who demonstrate an “inappropriate dress code.”
Iranian human rights lawyer Hossein Raeesi said the length of prison sentences under the new law is comparable to those imposed for serious crimes in Iran, such as murder and drug trafficking.
“It’s ridiculous to even think about it,” he said. The Guardian.
An Iranian journalist, whom the newspaper called Elnaz to protect her identity, said: ‘With the new law, the government tells us women that we will go to prison for up to 10 years if we do not wear a hijab.
‘Whats Next? Death penalty for defying the new hijab law?
The new laws are the latest move to crack down on women’s rights in Iran by the ruling regime. The government has also brought back the so-called “morality police” and separated women from men in hospitals, parks, workplaces and universities.
Another journalist told The Guardian that Iran’s rulers were following the Taliban’s lead.
“The bill could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as the authorities appear to be ruling through systemic discrimination with the intention of repressing women and girls into total submission,” UN experts said.
They said the proposed bill to support the family by promoting the culture of chastity and hijab and the existing restrictions are discriminatory.
The move to implement the new code comes a year after the death of Mahsa Amini (pictured), a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died on September 16, 2022 after her arrest in Tehran for allegedly not properly using her hijab.
An unveiled woman stands on top of a car as thousands of people protest in Iran on October 26.
“The bill imposes severe punishments on women and girls for non-compliance, which can lead to its violent implementation,” the experts said.
‘The bill also violates fundamental rights, including the right to participate in cultural life, the prohibition of gender discrimination, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful protest and the right to access social services, educational and health, and freedom of movement.’
According to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), the new law was being reviewed by Iran’s Guardian Council, a powerful body that reviews draft laws. The council is made up of 12 men and led by a 97-year-old clergyman, who has presided since 1988.
They are tasked with ensuring that new laws align with Islamic law.
Once approved, the bill will be sent to parliament and could become law in October.
The crackdown on women’s rights comes as the country prepares for the anniversary of Amini’s death, which still resonates across Iran.
Some women choose to go without a veil or hijab, despite increasing repression by the authorities.
Tehran municipal workers quickly paint graffiti black, probably against the Iranian government. University professors have been fired for their apparent support of protesters.
Those who violate the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code already face harsh punishments and extrajudicial reprisals, but the new laws “aim to suppress women and girls into complete submission,” according to the United Nations. In the photo: speech by the president of Iran, September 11
International pressure remains high on Iran, even as the administration attempts to reduce tensions with other nations in the region and the West after years of confrontation.
“Using ‘public morality’ as a weapon to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering and will entrench and amplify gender discrimination and marginalization,” the UN experts warned.
The protests over Amini’s death that broke out after her arrest a year ago by the country’s morality police, allegedly over her hijab, represented one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The security force crackdown that followed led to the deaths of more than 500 people and the arrest of more than 22,000.
