Opponents of Mandatory Hijab to Face Fines of at Least 330 Million Tomans

Following the finalization of the law to suppress opponents of mandatory hijab, known as the 'Hijab and Chastity' law, supporters of optional dress will face fines of at least 330 million tomans. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced in a press conference on Saturday, December 1, that the law on mandatory hijab will be sent to the government on December 14. This law, which consists of 74 articles and is organized into five chapters, has been finalized after numerous exchanges between the parliament, the Guardian Council, and the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic. According to this law, women who appear without mandatory hijab more than four times 'in real or virtual spaces' will face charges such as 'promoting nudity, immorality, unveiling, or improper dress' and will be sentenced to pay a fine of at least 330 million tomans. This punishment, 'at the discretion of the judicial authority,' will also include 'a ban on leaving the country for up to two years' and 'a ban on activity in virtual spaces for six months to two years,' with 'subsequent offenses' increasing the fine to 500 million tomans. Based on the published table of fines from level one to level eight of the Islamic Penal Code, repeating the offense of appearing without mandatory hijab more than four times will lead to a level four fine (up to 330 million tomans), and 'one degree of intensification' means an increase in the fine to level three (up to 500 million tomans). Women supporting optional dress will face fines ranging from five to 165 million tomans for their first four appearances without mandatory hijab 'in public view.' Thus, the Iranian government is confronting women and men who support the right to choose their dress with the law known as 'Chastity and Hijab,' intensifying the amount of fines for repeated appearances without mandatory hijab. Furthermore, according to Article 71 of this law, the government is required to allocate an annual budget to the Islamic Republic's Law Enforcement Command for the provision of cameras for this plan. The law also criminalizes the design or advertisement of items such as clothing, figures, and toys if they are claimed by the authors to 'promote nudity' and 'unveiling and improper dress,' leading to monetary and supplementary punishments. Based on this law, the presence of opponents of mandatory hijab in real or virtual spaces will result in penalties for business owners, group leaders, and platforms for the dissemination of audio or visual content in virtual spaces. Meanwhile, the closure of businesses in recent months has been one of the tools of the Islamic Republic to impose 'mandatory hijab' in society. Additionally, according to Article 66 of this law, if a 13-year-old child mocks the mandatory hijab in their social media account two or more times, they may face imprisonment from three months to one year in a 'rehabilitation center,' a fine of 330 to 500 million tomans, or other educational and protective measures at the discretion of the judge. Following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police in September 2022, which led to the largest nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic, women and girls in Iran have increasingly insisted on their right to choose their dress, appearing without mandatory hijab in public and virtual spaces. The Iranian government's efforts to enforce mandatory hijab over the past two years have also been fruitless. On the other hand, the suppression of women under the pretext of mandatory hijab by the Islamic Republic has led to widespread international criticism. In the latest instance of this criticism, on December 1, members of the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for the repeal of the Iranian government's 'discriminatory laws' against Iranian women and girls. They criticized the 'Chastity and Hijab' law, emphasizing that the suppression of women by the Iranian government could lead to 'gender apartheid' and called for the dissolution of the 'morality police' and other 'repressive institutions.' May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, also reported on November 2 that the human rights situation for women and girls in Iran has worsened. The UN fact-finding committee also warned on the second anniversary of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death in custody that the Islamic Republic has intensified its efforts to suppress the fundamental rights of women and girls and 'destroy the remnants of women's activities.' Contradictory statements from Iranian officials regarding the 'Chastity and Hijab' law include claims from the legal deputy of the government of Pezeshkian that the 'Chastity and Hijab' law has been suspended, the government's response to criticism of the 'clinic for abandoning hijab,' which is named 'Gathering,' and the parliamentary deputy of the Pezeshkian government stating that the 'Chastity and Hijab' law is not a priority for the government. The parliament held a coordination meeting with the Law Enforcement Command for the implementation of the 'Chastity and Hijab' law.