A proposed law which would impose stricter controls on women’s dress in Iran has been condemned by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI). The 70-article ’hijab and chastity’ law, currently awaiting approval by President Masoud Pezeshkian, mandates strict dress codes and introduces severe penalties for non-compliance.
In a statement yesterday, the IBAHRI described the law as ’a significant escalation of existing restrictions on personal freedoms for women’.
Under the new law, passed by the Iranian parliament, individuals violating dress codes face escalating financial penalties. Those unable to pay will face restrictions including impediments to passport renewal, vehicle registration and obtaining exit permits.
Additionally, the law assigns enforcement responsibilities to governmental institutions including the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance; the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology; the police force and Basij militia. Anyone failing to report or take action against those who oppose the mandatory hijab would be liable to severe financial penalties. ’The law encourages a culture of surveillance, censorship and condemnation,’ the IBAHRI said.
Meanwhile, the law violates principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran in 1975, the IBAHRI noted. ’It is a draconian measure, a blatant assault on the fundamental rights of women, a brutal manifestation of gender apartheid, and a criminalisation of women’s autonomy. It is not merely a matter of dress codes – it is a state-sponsored system of violence and domination, systematically stripping women of their dignity, freedom and right to live as equals in their own country. This is the height of authoritarian control and the erosion of fundamental human rights.’
IBAHRI director Baroness Kennedy (Helena Kennedy KC) commented: ‘It is critical that governments and civil society organisations take a leading role in holding Iran accountable and defending the rights of Iranian women who continue to fight for their freedom and dignity. The IBAHRI calls on states to enforce sanctions on Iranian leadership to secure the withdrawal of this legislation. In a system that already severely restricts women’s freedoms, this law represents a terrifying escalation of state-sanctioned gender discrimination.’
