Nasrin Sotoudeh and Sedigheh Vosoughi Call the Hijab Law a 'Ridiculous Show'

Sedigheh Vosoughi, a religious scholar critical of the Islamic Republic's government in Iran, and Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights defender, issued a joint statement on Sunday, December 2, denouncing the approval of the law known as 'Chastity and Hijab' as a 'ridiculous show' and calling for its complete repeal. In their message, they stated: 'While more than two years have passed since the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which was sparked by protests against compulsory hijab, various government agencies have come together to present compulsory hijab in a ridiculous show as a medieval law called Hijab and Chastity. This law strips women of all their civil rights.' The two civil activists emphasized in the message, published on Sedigheh Vosoughi's Instagram page, that 'the majority of society has repeatedly opposed the previous hijab law, risking everything.' They warned those who have wrongly and illegally taken political control of the country to act quickly to repeal this law; otherwise, they and certainly many others will exercise their civil right to protest this shameful act in public. Sedigheh Vosoughi removed her hijab in protest against the government's compulsory hijab in November 2023, which she considers a failed policy. She was arrested on March 16 and ultimately released on May 1 this year due to worsening health conditions in prison. Nasrin Sotoudeh has also protested against compulsory hijab and has been arrested multiple times in connection with this issue. She was arrested again in November 2023 when she attended Armita Garavand's funeral with optional attire, leading to a new case against her. After being 'whipped,' a woman protesting compulsory hijab was released. Experts say that legalizing the imposition of hijab will increase social tensions. Critics of the law known as 'Hijab and Chastity' describe it as shameful and disappointing. Opponents of compulsory hijab face fines of at least 330 million tomans. A Tehran University official stated that hijab has been 'abandoned.' The U.S. has stated that women's human rights defenders should operate without fear.