At least 12 people sentenced to prison since January 2018.
Written by the Center for Human Rights in Iran
August 19, 2019 – Mounting arrests and prison sentences have not enabled Iran’s government to achieve broad public compliance with the country’s mandatory hijab law, or stem growing protests against it.
At least 12 people have been issued prison sentences ranging from six months to 33 years for publicly removing their headscarves and other public acts of civil disobedience against compulsory hijab since January 2018, and 32 have been arrested for such acts, according to research by the Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Beyond these cases of public civil disobedience that receive significant media attention, millions of women who do not conform to the state’s dictates regarding mandatory dress codes are stopped by the police each year for “improper hijab,” and tens of thousands are referred to the judiciary in court cases each year.
“Wearing or not wearing a hijab is about freedom of expression, a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be defended,” said CHRI’s Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi.
