Iranian lawmakers demand changes to strict hijab bill

2024-12-18 11:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iranian lawmakers have called for changes to a bill that provides for tougher penalties against women who refuse to wear the mandatory headscarf, or hijab, local Iranian media reported on Wednesday.

The bill, already approved by Parliament but not yet sent to the government for final confirmation, has sparked a heated debate in Iran, more than two years after nationwide protests erupted in part over the strict dress code. for women in the Islamic Republic.

Shahram Dabiri, Iran's vice president for parliamentary affairs, has asked to delay sending the bill for final approval, according to ISNA news agency.

"We asked that the law on cleanliness and hijab not go to the government", Dabiri was quoted as saying, who added that "the speaker of the Parliament asked for an amendment to the draft law", reports AFP.

Dabiri did not specify the nature of the change, nor did he give a deadline for the process.

Legislators in September 2023 had approved the bill, officially called the "Family Support Act through the Promotion of the Culture of Purity and Hijab".

Since then, it has received the approval of the Garda Council, a body with powers to review laws.

The bill was originally expected to be sent to President Masoud Pezeshkian in December.

Pezeshkian, who can sign it and make it law, has expressed "reservations" about the text, citing numerous "ambiguities".

The 74-article draft law tightens restrictions on women's public dress, and threatens measures against businesses that do not enforce the dress code, according to its text, which has been published by Iranian media.

It also foresees harsh punishments of imprisonment of up to 10 years, or fines worth more than 6,000 dollars for the promotion of "nudity" or "indecency".

Since the early years of the republic, following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, women in Iran have been required by law to cover their heads and necks.

In late 2022, a wave of protests erupted following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

During the riots, which lasted for months, hundreds of people, including dozens of members of the security services, were killed. Thousands of demonstrators were arrested./REL