Protest Statement by Over One Hundred Filmmakers Against the Law Known as 'Chastity and Hijab'

Continuing the protests by cultural and artistic figures against the law known as 'Hijab and Chastity', over one hundred Iranian filmmakers have also announced their opposition to this law through a short statement. The signatories of this statement have called this law 'anti-Iranian' and 'humiliating', viewing it as a 'full-scale declaration of war against the people of Iran' and a source of 'division among the people'. These filmmakers, pointing to the penalties set forth in this law, which 'even includes children', have described it as a violation of women's rights and contrary to the principles of human rights. They have questioned the members of parliament about the rationale behind the approval of such a law while the country is grappling with 'various forms of corruption and inefficiency', and the people are facing 'economic problems, environmental damage, and regional wars'. Notable figures such as Mostafa Al-Ahmad, Majid Barzegar, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, Pantea Bahram, Azadeh Bizargiti, Hanieh Tosoli, Manijeh Hekmat, Fereydoun Jiriani, Katayoun Riahi, Leili Farhadpour, Masoud Kimiai, Behtash Sanaeiha, Maziar Lorestani, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, and Houshang Golmakani are among the signatories of this statement. Some of the women who signed this letter have their own legal cases regarding their public opposition to compulsory hijab. Previously, three cultural institutions in Iran had issued a statement calling this law 'anti-national and divisive' and demanded its repeal. The House of Cinema, the House of Theater, and the House of Music of Iran, in their statement, which was published on the House of Cinema's website on Wednesday, December 5, reminded that this law 'will never have popular acceptance for implementation'. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, also criticized the law known as 'Chastity and Hijab' on December 3, stating that its implementation is not feasible, society will not accept it, and it will create dissatisfaction. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced on December 28 that the 'Chastity and Hijab' law will be enacted. Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary, also described this law as 'mandatory'. Dozens of child rights organizations and activists say that the law known as Hijab and Chastity 'clearly contradicts the fundamental rights of children' in international and domestic laws. Forty child rights organizations and activists announced on December 15 that this law includes 'new criminalizations for children aged 9 to 18' and that 'the interests of children are in clear conflict with the criminalization against them'. The statement highlights issues in the area of children, including school dropout, suicide attempts, and child abuse, stating that 'additional pressure on children and the intensification of the security and police surveillance system' will 'strengthen structural violence against children'. The signatories of this statement declared that 'children's rights are neither negotiable nor dispensable' and wrote that the 'civil and political responsibility' for the implementation of this law and its consequences 'rests with the government' and 'other institutions and individuals involved in drafting, approving, and implementing such a law'. The Small Life Tree Association, the Society for the Defense of Working Children and Street Children, the Association for Helping At-Risk Children, the Dynamic Educational Research Association, and the Child Rights Committee of the Iranian Bar Association are among the signatories of this statement. The severe government repression and the danger of protests becoming 'underground' have been highlighted by doctors and eyewitnesses recounting the injuries from the protests.