Issuance of Arrest Warrants for Azadeh Samadi and Leila Bolukat Due to Opposition to Mandatory Hijab

The judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced that arrest warrants have been issued for Azadeh Samadi and Leila Bolukat, two Iranian film actresses, due to their opposition to mandatory hijab. The state-run news agency 'Mizan' reported on Tuesday that following Azadeh Samadi's 'hijab removal' at the funeral of theater director Reza Hadad, and after 'taking the defendant's defense and the lawyer's statements,' the investigator of the 'Cultural and Media Prosecutor's Office' issued an arrest warrant for her due to what was termed 'offending public morality and decency through hijab removal.' Previously, on January 15, 2023, Azadeh Samadi had been summoned to the '33rd District Prosecutor's Office' in Evin Prison for 'some explanations.' On the other hand, the judiciary has reported that Leila Bolukat, after 'taking the defendant's defense and the lawyer's statements,' has also had an arrest warrant issued against her for 'offending public morality and decency through hijab removal' and for 'posting images' on her personal Instagram page. In mid-May, Leila Bolukat had published images of herself without 'mandatory hijab' while reading a book in one of Tehran's cultural centers. Since the onset of the movement known as 'Women, Life, Freedom,' which coincided with widespread protests in various cities in Iran, some women artists have also expressed their opposition to mandatory hijab by removing it in public places or official ceremonies and posting images of themselves on social media; actions that have been met with governmental backlash or attacks from state-supporting media. Note: Initially, a different photo was chosen for this article, which was changed upon review.