Iran Halts Stricter Hijab Law Amid Fears of Protests, Official Says

Iran has suspended the implementation of a controversial new law mandating stricter hijab requirements for women, a move that many observers believe could have sparked mass protests akin to those following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022, a senior official said.

Shahram Dabiri, Iran’s vice president for parliamentary affairs, stated that the contentious legislation, approved by parliament in September 2023, would not be sent to the government this week as initially planned. “Following discussions, it was decided that parliament will not forward the law to the government for the time being,” Dabiri told the reformist newspaper Ham Mihan.

The decision to delay the law, which proposed harsher penalties for women defying hijab rules and businesses serving them, was made by top executives and Iran’s legislative and judicial authorities, Dabiri added, without providing further details.

Had the bill been enacted, reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian would have been legally obliged to approve it within five days, with the legislation taking effect 15 days later. Iran’s laws do not allow presidential vetoes. Pezeshkian might have appealed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to intervene or chosen not to enforce the law, risking a constitutional crisis that hardliners could exploit to undermine his administration.

Pezeshkian previously criticized the bill as containing “numerous ambiguities and issues.” Proposed penalties under the legislation ranged from fines of $800 for a first offense to $1,500 and up to 15 years in prison for repeat offenders. Celebrities and public figures could face confiscation of 8% of their net worth, while businesses serving unveiled women risk fines or closure.

The legislation also proposed travel bans and enhanced surveillance measures, including access to private security footage. The sweeping scope of the three-year plan is unprecedented in Iran.

The death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 after her detention by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly ignited nationwide protests. While Tehran denies responsibility for her death, UN investigators concluded she suffered fatal injuries inflicted by police. The crackdown on protests led to at least 500 deaths and over 22,000 arrests.

Since then, Iranian women have increasingly flouted existing hijab laws, appearing in public with uncovered hair despite the threat of arrest or prosecution. A recent survey suggested nearly half of Tehran residents oppose mandatory hijab laws.

The bill’s suspension reflects mounting challenges for Iranian authorities in balancing hardline policies with the risk of public unrest.