Iran suspends new dress code law

Iran’s National Security Council has suspended the implementation of the controversial “Hijab and Chastity Law” that was due to take effect on Friday.

President Massoud Pezeshkiyan called the legislation “ambiguous and in need of reform,” declaring his intention to review its measures.

The proposed new law, which provides harsher punishment for women and girls for exposing their hair, forearms and lower legs, has been heavily criticized by human rights activists.

The strict dress code imposed on women and girls, seen for decades by the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a national security priority, has previously sparked protests.

Under the new law, repeat offenders and anyone who flouts the rules face stiffer fines and longer prison terms of up to 15 years. It also obliges businesses to report anyone who breaks the rules.

Human rights groups have expressed alarm. Amnesty International said the Iranian authorities are “seeking to entrench an already suffocating system of repression”.

During the presidential election in July, then-candidate Pezeshkian openly criticized the treatment of Iranian women over the hijab issue.

He has vowed not to interfere in their private lives, a stance that has resonated with many Iranians, especially a younger generation frustrated by the government’s tight control.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, former vice president for women and family affairs, also criticized the law, saying, “The new law is an indictment of half of Iran’s population.”

The hijab debate gained further momentum last week when Parastu Ahmadi, a popular Iranian singer, was arrested after stream a virtual concert without an audience on YouTube without wearing a hijab.

The concert quickly went viral, and the arrest of Ahmadi and her bandmates sparked widespread backlash. Faced with a public outcry, the authorities released them the next day.

Tensions around the hijab remain high after nationwide protests in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa “Zina” Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating the dress code.

Over the past two years, many young Iranian women have defiantly removed their hijabs in public, defying the authority of the government.

Last week, more than 300 Iranian human rights activists, writers and journalists publicly condemned the new hijab law, calling it “illegitimate and unenforceable” and calling on Pezeshkian to fulfill her campaign promises.

Despite pressure from hardline factions close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, many young people in Iran appear unafraid to defy the regime’s restrictions.

Pezeshkian’s supporters believe that the new hijab law will not stop young women from objecting to it and may even make the situation worse.

Still, supporters of the law are pressing the president to move forward, criticizing the National Security Council’s hesitation and demanding that he sign the law to clear the way for its implementation.

The decision to suspend its implementation indicates that the government fears it could trigger another wave of mass protests similar to those seen two years ago.