Tension in Iran over new headscarf law, with prison sentences and death penalty

In Iran there is discussion about a new headscarf law that has already been passed by parliament, but still has to be approved by President Pezeshkian. If he signs it, even heavier penalties could be imposed on women who do not adhere to the strict clothing rules.

Women risk fines, a prison sentence of between 5 and 15 years for repeated violations and even the death penalty. Pezeshkian announced at the beginning of this month that he is against the law.

Prominent conservative clerics are also not in favor of it, because they believe there is no support among the population. Still, there is little chance that Pezeshkian will stop the law, because it has already been approved by other institutions.

Since the 1979 revolution, women in Iran have been required to cover their heads and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. But this is not always strictly enforced. In recent months, more and more women have been seen without headscarves in Iranian cities. This would become even riskier with the new law.

The law contains 74 articles. Women and girls who send videos of themselves to media outside Iran or peacefully protest against the law can face the death penalty under the law.

Women who “dress poorly” risk a fine according to Amnesty International converted to approximately 150 euros. For a fourth offense, this amount can increase to around 7,500 euros, a prison sentence of around five years, a travel ban of two years, and a ban on the use of social media for two years.

If women cannot pay the fines, cars can be seized. The new law also bans the import and sale of clothing, statues, dolls, paintings, books and magazines that “promote nudity, removing the headscarf and poor clothing.”

President Pezeshkian said this summer that the moral police should not harass women because they do not wear their headscarves properly. “I’ll go after that.” He was elected this year and campaigned on a reformist agenda.

But the president does not have much power in Iran, says Iran expert Damón Golriz. “The Iranian regime is not a normal state. It is an Islamic state with a cleric as supreme leader: Ali Khamenei. He has been there for thirty years. The president is actually a puppet, a facilitator.”

At the same time, there is a lot of resistance among the population against the strict dress codes. Two years ago there were major protests after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She allegedly did not wear her headscarf properly, after which she was violently arrested.

The demonstrations were severely suppressed by the regime. According to an Iranian human rights organization in the US, more than 500 people have been killed. More than 22,000 people also ended up in prison, many of whom were later released. Several people have been sentenced to death and hanged for their participation in the demonstrations.

Despite the harsh repression, there are now Iranians who are resisting again, says Golriz. A woman was arrested last month after walking around the street in her underwear. The images were widely shared on social media, where she received a lot of support.

And yesterday a video was shared frequently of a woman giving a concert without a headscarf. “That move ensures that the regime will not last long,” Golriz thinks. “If you have to enforce such a law with the death penalty, you show that you are not very strong in your own country, but also not internationally.”