Iranian Parliament passes new Hijab Law with strict penalties for violations

Tehran: The Iranian Parliament has approved a new "Hijab and Chastity Bill," mandating women to wear hijabs and introducing severe penalties for non-compliance.

Women improperly wearing the hijab or not wearing it at all in public or on social media may face fines equivalent to 20 months’ salary.

Fines must be paid within 10 days; failure to do so will result in restrictions on public services such as passport renewal and driver’s license issuance.

In the new law, institutions are required to assist authorities by providing CCTV footage to identify violators.

Women’s rights activists have rejected the move and have urged the Iranian President to refrain from enforcing the law.

Notably, in June 2023, Iranian authorities launched a smart monitoring program using surveillance cameras to identify women defying hijab regulations despite fines or imprisonment threats.