Iran Postpones Implementing New Chastity Law After Backlash

By Maya Mehrara

What's New

Iran has postponed implementing a new recently approved chastity law after facing backlash from the international community, according to Iran International. A letter from Iran's Supreme National Security Council sent on Saturday requested the bill's implementation be delayed so it can be amended and submitted to parliament again.

The deputy president in parliamentary affairs, Shahram Dabiri, said: "We will send an amendment bill to the Parliament to halt [the controversies over its implementation] now to conduct further investigations."

Originally set to be implemented this week, the chastity law imposes heavy fines and other penalties to individuals who violate Tehran's strict dress code.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for comment via email outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

The implications of the new chastity law are severe, as they not only embolden law enforcement to severely punish those they believe have violated it, but also encourage citizens to report each other for violating the dress rules.

The law also has ramifications both on the streets and online, as the bill covers those the government believes are violating dress rules in the digital sphere.

The dress rules, particularly for women, in Iran since the 1979 revolution have been a long-standing point of contention between the people and the Islamic regime. After the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman arrested by Iran's morality police for violating hijab rules in 2022, nationwide and global protests ensued, unsuccessfully pushing the government to make changes regarding women's rights in Iran.

What to Know

Comprising 74 articles, Iran's new chastity law, titled: "Protection of the Family through Promoting the Culture of Hijab and Chastity," was approved by parliament and later Iran's Guardian Council, and it is set to be implemented on a three-year trial basis to punish both men and women who violate dress code restrictions.

The law defines improper dress as "clothing that exposes areas below the neck, above the ankles, or above the wrists, or clothing that 'tempts' others" and has additional specific stipulations for men and women. Article 50 of the law stipulates that "unveiling" is defined as "the act of women and girls not covering their heads with a hijab, chador, or headscarf," according to Amnesty International.

If an individual violates these rules, they could be forced to pay fines ranging from about $285 to $2,350, depending on the severity of the offense and if they had prior offenses, according to Iran Wire.

Alternative punishments for people who can't afford to pay the fines include impeding passport renewals, vehicle registrations, country exit permits and driver's license renewals. Punishments also could include not releasing impounded vehicles, and more severe sanctions would include prison sentences.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian voiced his thoughts on the new chastity law in a post on X two weeks ago and wrote: "The hijab law, in my opinion, is very ambiguous, and I think it should be enforced. We should not do anything that would disrupt the harmony and empathy of society. We should have a dialogue and interact on this issue."

On the bill's delay, Ismail Siavoshi, a member of the parliament's Cultural Commission, said: "The implementation of the hijab law has been delayed, but it cannot be considered a setback; the National Security Council also concluded that the implementation of this law should be delayed for a few months," according to the Iranian news outlet Alef News.

Encouraging the public to comply with the law, he added: "Some laws are not part of the necessities of religion and are considered social, and their transfer is free from problems. But divine and Quranic laws cannot be changed and must ultimately be implemented; in this regard, the parliament has worked on the hijab law for about 7,000 man-hours and scientific and cultural figures and experts have been invited. We approve the law and the government must implement it, and even if it is a bad law, it must still be implemented."

What People Are Saying

Regarding the new bill, Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa regional office, said: "This shameful law intensifies the persecution of women and girls for daring to stand up for their rights following the 'Woman Life Freedom' uprising. The authorities are seeking to entrench the already suffocating system of repression against women and girls while making their daily lives even more intolerable," according to an Amnesty International press release.

She continued: "The international community must not stand idly by as Iranian authorities further codify repression and even resort to the death penalty to suppress dissent against compulsory veiling. They must use their leverage to press the Iranian authorities to withdraw this law and abolish compulsory veiling in law and practice. They must also pursue legal pathways to hold Iranian officials accountable for committing widespread and systematic human rights violations against women and girls through the implementation of compulsory veiling."

UN experts have also called for the new chastity law to be repealed and in a statement, they said: "The new law constitutes a clear violation of fundamental human rights, legal norms and principles, including women's rights to equality, freedom of expression, religion and belief, bodily autonomy, liberty, security and privacy."

What Happens Next

After the amendments to the bill have been submitted to parliament, if the new chastity law is passed and implemented, protests will likely ensue as they did in 2022. It remains unknown how long the delays of implementing the law will last and what other backlash Iran will face from the global community regarding this law.