IRAN HAS INTRODUCED A NEW IMPOSING SEVERE PENALTIES FOR DEFYING COMPULSORY HIJAB AND MORALITY RULES. (PHOTO).

 Iran has introduced a new law imposing severe penalties for defying compulsory hijab and morality rules.

 The 74-article law, titled Protection of the Family through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab, includes punishments such as fines up to $22,000, prison sentences of up to 15 years, flogging, and even the death penalty. The law was passed by the Iranian parliament on December 1 and will be implemented from December 13, initially for a three-year trial period. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned the law, calling it an attack on women’s freedoms and an attempt to suppress resistance.

The law outlines specific dress codes for men and women, with varying penalties depending on the nature and frequency of violations. For women, improper dressing includes wearing tight clothing that exposes the body below the neck, above the ankles, or forearms. For men, it prohibits tight clothing that exposes areas like the chest or knees. Violators face fines starting at $160, escalating to $22,000, along with travel bans, social media restrictions, or imprisonment. Extreme cases of “public indecency” or “nudity” can result in harsher penalties, including long-term imprisonment or, in severe instances, the death penalty under charges of “corruption on earth.”

Despite his previous criticism of compulsory hijab laws, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reluctantly approved the legislation, calling his role “ceremonial” and expressing concerns about its impact on social harmony. Pezeshkian, elected on a reformist platform, had promised to end morality policing but acknowledged that any change requires the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.