Iranian police announced on Saturday that they would use “smart” technology in public places to identify women who violate the dress code imposed in the Islamic Republic.
“Police will take action to identify female offenders using smart tools and cameras in squares and public roads,” police said in a statement released by media.
Then, the police will “send the evidence and warning messages to women who violate the law on the hijab” in order to “inform them of the legal consequences in the event of a repeat offence”, she adds.
The warning comes as more and more women are defying Iran’s compulsory dress code, including the wearing of the veil, since the start of protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for violation of the strict dress code.
“Starting next Saturday, people who remove their veils will be identified using smart equipment,” Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said in an interview on state television. .
“People who remove their hijab in public places will first receive a warning and then be brought before the courts,” Radan warned.
According to him, car owners will also receive a warning message if a passenger violates the dress code. They risk the seizure of their vehicle in the event of a repeat offense, he added.
“The police will not tolerate any individual or collective behavior or any action contrary to the law,” police warned in another statement released earlier, calling on “citizens to continue to cooperate” with the police.
Last week, a video widely shared on social networks showed a man shouting at two women without veils and then pouring a pot of yogurt over their heads. Iranian judicial authorities have announced that they have ordered the arrest of two women and their attacker.
In late March, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, warned that anyone who removes the veil would be “punished”.