TEHRAN, Iran Dec 18(AFP) — Iranian lawmakers have requested amendments to a bill that would impose tougher penalties on women who refuse to wear the mandatory hijab, local media reported on Wednesday. The bill, already approved in parliament but not yet submitted to the government for final confirmation, has sparked heated debate in Iran, more than two years since nationwide protests erupted partly over the Islamic republic’s dress code for women.
Shahram Dabiri, Iran’s vice president for parliamentary affairs, has asked to delay the bill’s approval, according to news agency ISNA. “We requested that the law of chastity and hijab not be referred to the government,” Dabiri was quoted as saying, adding that “the parliament speaker requested an amendment to the bill.” He did not specify the nature of the amendment or provide a timeline for the process.
Lawmakers had approved the bill in September 2023, officially titled the “Law on Supporting the Family through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab.” It has since received approval from the Guardian Council, which is empowered to vet legislation. The bill was initially set to be referred to President Masoud Pezeshkian in December. Pezeshkian, who could sign it into law, has expressed “reservations” about the text, citing numerous “ambiguities.”
The 74-article bill tightens restrictions on women’s public attire and threatens action against businesses that fail to enforce the dress code. It also imposes hefty penalties of up to 10 years in prison or fines equivalent to more than $6,000 for promoting “nudity” or “indecency.”
Since the early years of the republic following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran have been required by law to cover their head and neck. In late 2022, protests erupted following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurd Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code. The months-long unrest saw hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, killed and thousands of demonstrators arrested.
