Iran’s parliament has enacted a harsh new modesty law, significantly tightening existing dress restrictions that have already fueled nationwide protests and posed a serious challenge to regime stability.
Two years after protests against Iran’s strict dress codes rocked the nation, a new “chastity and hijab” law was passed on Sunday by the hardline parliament and approved by the Guardian Council, which vets laws for compliance with the constitution and Islamic law. It must now be signed by the president to come into force.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a critic of the country’s dress code rules who was elected last year on a reformist platform, has voiced opposition to the bill, setting up a potential showdown with powerful conservatives if he tries to stand in its way.
His signing of legislation is largely ceremonial, leaving little room for him to block the bill, something he acknowledged in a post on X on Monday.
“In my opinion the hijab law, which I have to implement, is vague. We should not do anything to disturb the harmony and empathy of society. We have to talk and interact about the issue,” he wrote.
The legislation would begin a three-year trial of a set of policies that would impose new, harsher penalties for hijab violations and improper dress by both men and women. It defines improper dress in various ways, ranging from nudity and dressing immodestly to wearing the hijab incorrectly.
For women, this includes wearing tight clothes and outfits that expose the body below the neck, above the ankles, and above the forearms. For men, any exposure below the chest and above the knees, as well as shoulders, is forbidden.
A ‘miscalculation of public sentiment’
According to Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy, the law risks repeating the mistakes of the former Iranian administration, which faced months of protests against such policies in 2022.
The law also introduces a system of fines and restrictions with financial penalties, even for initial offenses. Multiple violations would incur punishments such as prison sentences, travel bans, and restrictions around driving, passport renewal, and even internet access.
For business owners who do not enforce the dress code on their clients and customers, it increases financial penalties and imposes potential prison sentences, travel bans, and advertising restrictions.
In late 2022, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police led to some of the biggest protests the country had seen in decades. According to the United Nations, over 500 people were killed in the ensuing regime crackdown.
Another key aspect of the law is the regulation of digital spaces. It will impose fines and restrictions on internet activity surrounding the legislation, requiring social media platforms to monitor and remove content the government deems inappropriate. Influencers and public figures – some of the most outspoken during the protests – will also face harsh penalties for any promotion of improper dress or mocking of hijab laws. The penalties for violation could include fines of up to 5% of their total assets and travel bans.
While the harsher penalties have caused concern for Iranians, a particularly controversial aspect of the legislation is expanded surveillance. Footage from traffic monitoring cameras and those of various government agencies will be used to track offenders, with the aid of artificial intelligence. Citizens are also encouraged to report violations through the police’s public reporting system.
An early draft of the bill was submitted by former President Ebrahim Raisi in May 2023 after the deadly protests over compulsory hijab laws.
Championed by hardline factions in the parliament, the bill passed through a secretive process, bypassing open debate on the parliamentary floor, according to Toossi.
The process by which the bill was passed is unusual and highlights the imbalances within Iran’s political structure.
“The core of the hardline conservative system is going against the majority of the populace, the elected administration and the president, who have this mandate, have the will,” said Negar Mortazavi, editor and host of the Iran Podcast. “They just don’t have the power to overhaul and change the situation.”
‘Uphill battle’ for Pezeshkian
The bill is expected to be implemented nearly two weeks from the Guardian Council’s approval, on December 13.
Pezeshkian ran his election campaign speaking out about compulsory hijab, the harsh Raisi-era dress laws and the nationwide protests, promising an end to the morality police.
According to Mortazavi, Pezeshkian faces an “uphill battle” as the bill sets the stage for a power struggle between hardline conservative forces in the unelected bodies and parliament on one side, and the government along with the elected president on the other.
In July, during a presidential debate, Pezeshkian said, referring to the regime: “Just as they could not forcibly remove hijabs from women’s heads in the past, they cannot now force it onto them. We have no right to impose our will on our women and daughters.”
While the president has no real veto power and is obligated to approve all parliamentary decisions, he could refuse or delay the signing in an effort to build goodwill among the people.
But Pezeshkian’s options to stop the new law are limited, said Toossi.
“His options include appealing to the Supreme Leader, requesting that the law be referred to the Expediency Council for renewed arbitration,” he said. “Alternatively, he could seek intervention through the Supreme National Security Council to override (it). Both of these options, however, hinge on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s tacit approval.”