Iran's deputy attorney general Ali Jamadi has stated that individuals who encourage women to remove their hijab will face criminal prosecution with no right of appeal if convicted. This statement comes amidst a growing trend of Iranian women defying the country's compulsory dress code by appearing in public without the veil.
"The punishment for the crime of promoting and encouraging others to remove the hijab is much heavier than the crime of removing the hijab itself, because it is one of the clear examples of encouraging corruption," Jamadi told the Mehr news agency.
The deputy attorney general did not specify what the penalties might be or what constitutes promoting unveiling. Videos of unveiled women protesting the Iranian police have been circulating on social media, especially since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the morality police last September. Amini was detained for allegedly violating the hijab rule, and her death sparked protests that have been violently suppressed by security forces.
On Sunday Iranian law enforcement announced that they had closed more than 150 businesses for not enforcing the legally required Islamic dress code.
Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, women in Iran are required to wear a hijab, and loose-fitting clothing while in public.
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