|
 On July 27, the Ilna news agency reported that the Islamic Parliament had approved and published the “Hijab and Chastity” bill. This bill, originally drafted by the judiciary and submitted to the government, has now been revised and republished by the Parliamentary Judicial Committee under the title “Family Protection Bill by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab.” There are 70 articles in the revised bill, significantly harsher than its original version. For this bill to become law, it must be approved by the entire Parliament and ratified by the Guardian Council. Given the control that proponents of the mandatory hijab have over these institutions, there is a high probability that it will be approved by both entities.
The publication follows another disturbing setback for Iran’s human rights landscape, yet again, via the return of the Ershad Patrol, also known as the Morality Police. The function of this policing entity has been under significant fire and scrutiny for nearly a year now, since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was brutally killed while in custody of the Ershad Patrol for her “improper hijab”, sparking nationwide protests. After months of ongoing protests, Iranian police had announced in December 2022 the end of Morality Police, though since that announcement Iranian women were still targeted for improper hijab–or the lack thereof–in other ways. However, the current, official return of the Morality Police has now raised concerns regarding the further curtailment of personal freedoms, particularly regarding the mandatory hijab requirement. Read the full story in English or Persian.
More from NIAC’s Human Rights Tracker:
|
