Iran: Parliament calls for changes to compulsory veil law

Debate over controversial law tightening sanctions against hijab-less women ignites the country as President Pezeshkian expresses doubts

The Iranian parliament has formally requested changes to a disputed law that provides for severe penalties for women who do not wear the veil. President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, has expressed misgivings about the text, adding to the growing debate in the country. The law, initially scheduled to be passed on 13 December, consists of 74 articles, with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and high fines for those who promote ‘indecency’.

The bill, which has already been approved by Parliament and the Guardian Council, also provides for the use of artificial intelligence to identify violators of the headscarf requirement via cameras. This tightening of hijab regulations comes amid protests and challenges to the headscarf obligation, which have intensified since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The young woman had been arrested for an alleged violation of the strict dress code imposed on Iranian women.

The law, strongly supported by the ultraconservative former president Ebrahim Raisi, who died last May, has been criticised by Amnesty International, which calls it a violation of human rights, fearing the reintroduction of extremely harsh punishments such as flogging and the death penalty.

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