Iran arrests 29 women for headscarf protest

Narges Hosseini was detained within 10 minutes of removing her veil in apparent solidarity with ‘Girl of Enghelab Street’ – a protest in Iran earlier this year whereby women removed their headscarf in public to protest against Iran mandatory dress code

The Iranian authorities arrested 29 women on Friday for removing their headscarves in public in protest at the law which obliges them to keep their heads covered, Arabi21.com has reported. According to the Tehran police, the protesters “undermined social stability” in the country.

Under the current law, which was introduced following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women who remove their head covering in public can be sent to prison for two months and fined the equivalent of £12. Activist Masoum Komi launched a social media campaign against the law and the women who have been arrested responded by removing their scarves. They now await whatever fate the judiciary has in store for them.

Social media has been filled with photographs of the women in Tehran holding their scarves on sticks while standing on various items of street furniture.

Women are wearing white and discarding headscarves in protest against Iran’s dress code [My Stealthy Freedom / Youtube]

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