Iran shuts 150 businesses for non-compliance with hijab law

Iranian authorities have shut down more than 150 commercial establishments over a 24-hour period for failing to enforce hijab laws, police said yesterday.

The closures came a day after police announced a plan to monitor compliance with the law which has been enforced since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, based on surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology.

“Unfortunately, the police had to close 137 shops and 18 restaurants and reception halls in the country for not heeding to previous warnings” regarding the obligation to wear the hijab, the Tasnim news agency quoted police spokesman Saeed Montazerolmahdi as saying.

This comes as more women are defying the mandatory dress code since protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Mahsa died on 16 September after being detained for violating the country’s strict dress code.

Police also announced that car owners will receive a warning text message if female passengers break the dress code and they risk having their car impounded if the offence is repeated.

“Over the past 24 hours, there have been several hundred cases of non-compliance recorded by the police, and car owners have been informed by text message,” Montazerolmahdi said.

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