police announce stricter enforcement of sanctions against women not wearing the veil

The obligation to wear the veil for women, a symbol of religious power in the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been wavering since September and the revolt that followed the death of Mahsa Amini. In cities like Tehran, many Iranian women no longer cover their hair in public, a move unthinkable a few months ago. But the Iranian police announced on Saturday April 15 their intention to tighten the application of this rule again.

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In an online statement, the police announce “carefully planned actions” to control the wearing of the hijab on public roads, as well as in vehicles and “sites where the hijab is sometimes removed”. Hassan Mofakhami, chief of police security, promises in particular to warn companies whose employees remove their hijab at their place of work, before closing their premises in the event of a recurrence.

Last week, police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan had already said that “People who take off their headscarves will be identified using smart equipment.” They “will first receive a warning and then be presented to courts”, he had warned. If a passenger in a car breaks the rule, the owner will receive a warning message and may have their vehicle seized.

In January, Iranian media had already reported that the police had resumed monitoring the wearing of hijab in cars, sending a text message to the owner of the vehicle in case of violation of the dress code, without threatening sanctions. “According to current laws, removing the hijab is considered a crime”recalls Hassan Mofakhami in the press release posted on Saturday.