Iran’s parliament has enacted a harsh new modesty law, which reinforces existing dress restrictions that have already fueled protests across the country and posed a serious challenge to the stability of the regime.
Two years after protests against Iran’s strict dress codes rocked the country, a new “chastity and hijab” law was passed on Sunday by parliament and approved by the Guardian Council, which reviews laws for compliance. with the constitution and Islamic law. Now, it must be signed by the president to come into force.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a critic of the dress code rules, has voiced opposition to the bill, setting up a possible confrontation with powerful conservatives if he tries to derail the bill.
His signing of the legislation is largely ceremonial, leaving little room to block the bill, something he acknowledged in a post on Social Network X on Monday.
“In my opinion, the hijab law, which I have to implement, is vague. We must do nothing to disturb the harmony and empathy of society. We have to talk and interact about the issue,” he wrote.
The legislation would begin a three-year trial of a set of policies that would impose new and harsher penalties for hijab violations and inappropriate dress for both men and women. She defines inappropriate attire in several ways, ranging from nudity and immodest attire to
For women, this includes wearing tight clothing and attire that exposes the body below the neck, above the ankles and above the forearms. For men, any exposure below the chest and above the knees, as well as shoulders, is prohibited.
According to Sina Toossi, senior fellow at the Washington DC-based Center for International Policy, the law risks repeating the mistakes of the former Iranian government, .
“This decision reflects a miscalculation of public sentiment and is unlikely to achieve the government’s stated goals of preserving traditional social norms. Instead, it risks further destabilizing an already fragile social fabric,” he told CNN.
The law also introduces a system of fines and restrictions with financial penalties, even for initial infractions. Multiple violations would result in punishments such as prison sentences, travel bans and driving restrictions, passport renewals and even internet access.
For business owners who do not enforce the dress code on their clients and customers, it increases financial penalties and imposes possible prison sentences, travel bans, and advertising restrictions.
22-year-old in the custody of Iran’s morality police led to some of the biggest protests the country has seen in decades. According to the United Nations, more than 500 people were killed in the regime’s ensuing crackdown.
Another fundamental aspect of the law is the regulation of digital spaces. It will impose fines and restrictions on internet activity surrounding the legislation, requiring social media platforms to monitor and remove content that the government deems inappropriate.
Influencers and public figures — some of the most outspoken during the protests — will also face severe penalties for any promotion of inappropriate dress or mockery of hijab laws. Penalties for violations can include fines of up to 5% of your total assets and travel bans.
While the harsher penalties have caused Iranians concern, a particularly controversial aspect of the legislation is expanded surveillance. Images from traffic monitoring cameras and various government agencies will be used to track offenders, with the help of artificial intelligence. Citizens are also encouraged to report violations through the police public reporting system.
An initial draft of the bill was introduced in May 2023, following deadly protests against mandatory hijab laws.
Defended by hard-line factions in parliament, the bill was approved through a secret process, bypassing open debate in the parliamentary plenary, according to Toossi.
The process by which the bill was passed is unusual and highlights the imbalances in Iran’s political structure.
“The core of the hard-line conservative system is going against the majority of the population, the elected administration and the president, who have this mandate, have the will,” said Negar Mortazavi, editor and host of Iran Podcast. “They simply don’t have the power to review and change the situation.”
Uphill battle for Pezeshkian
The bill is expected to be implemented almost two weeks after approval by the Guardian Council on December 13.
Pezeshkian ran her election campaign by talking about the mandatory hijab, harsh Raisi-era dress laws and national protests, promising an end to the morality police.
According to Mortazavi, Pezeshkian faces an “uphill battle” as the bill sets the stage for a power struggle between hard-line conservative forces in the unelected bodies and parliament on the one hand, and the government along with the president elected from the other.
In July, during a presidential debate, Pezeshkian said, referring to the regime: “Just as they could not forcibly remove hijabs from women’s heads in the past, they cannot now force them to do so. We have no right to impose our will on our wives and daughters.”
Although the president has no real veto power and is required to approve all parliamentary decisions, he can refuse or delay signing them in an effort to build goodwill among the people.
But Pezeshkian’s options for stopping the new law are limited, Toossi said.
“Your options include appealing to the Supreme Leader, requesting that the law be referred to the Board of Expediency for further arbitration,” he said. “Alternatively, he could seek intervention through the Supreme National Security Council to overturn it. Both options, however, depend on the tacit approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.”
