Amnesty International has condemned Iran’s mandatory Hijab and Chastity Law, set to take effect on December 13, as “shameful.”
Amnesty International stated that the Hijab and Chastity Law, passed by the Iranian regime’s parliament, further erases the rights of women and girls under the Iranian regime and “intensifies” their oppression.
In a statement on Tuesday, December 10, the organization explained that this law, which according to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament, will take effect on December 13, not only punishes women who do not comply with the mandatory hijab but also enables law enforcement and vigilante forces to commit violence against women without fear of legal consequences.
The law, comprising 74 articles, sentences women who fail to adhere to the regime’s dress code to penalties such as flogging, heavy fines, lengthy prison terms, travel bans, and deprivation of education and employment.
Amnesty International described the law as “shameful” and emphasized that even private companies failing to enforce the mandatory hijab would face punishment.
Amnesty International also noted the increasing resistance of women to the mandatory hijab following the 2022 protests and stated that under this law, any opposition to the hijab mandate, such as sending unveiled photos to foreign media, could be punished as “corruption on earth,” a charge that carries the death penalty.
The organization stressed that the intricate network of fines, prison sentences, and other harsh penalties outlined in this law indicates that the Iranian government seeks to control women through fear and economic pressure.
Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that Iranian authorities aim to strengthen the “suffocating system” with this law.
“The international community must not stand idly by as Iranian authorities further codify repression and even resort to the death penalty to suppress dissent against compulsory veiling. They must use their leverage to press the Iranian authorities to withdraw this law and abolish compulsory veiling in law and practice. They must also pursue legal pathways to hold Iranian officials accountable for committing widespread and systematic human rights violations against women and girls through the implementation of compulsory veiling.”
It is worth noting that the regime’s parliament passed the Hijab and Chastity bill on September 20, 2023, a year after the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini and the widespread protests that followed.
This bill, which includes severe punishments and numerous fines for opponents of the mandatory hijab, was approved by a special committee. Its passage sparked widespread opposition from human rights advocates and civil activists on social media.
Nevertheless, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Parliament, announced on November 28 that the Hijab and Chastity law would be implemented starting December 13. He explained that the law delineates the responsibilities of various institutions regarding the hijab.
Amnesty International had previously described the passage of this law in September as a “vile assault” on women’s rights under the Iranian regime.
