Kommission im Iran überarbeitet umstrittenes Kopftuchgesetz
Published: Monday, Apr 29th 2024, 13:40
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In Iran, a parliamentary commission has revised the controversial new headscarf law, taking the legislative process one step further. The draft law has once again been submitted to the so-called Guardian Council, an arch-conservative supervisory body, for review.
This was reported by the news agency Tasnim on Monday. If the draft is now approved, draconian penalties could be imposed in future for violations of the Islamic dress code.
Since last year, a fierce debate has been raging in Iran about the controversial law. It has been criticized from many sides. For some arch-conservative hardliners, who dominate parliament, the penalties do not go far enough. Moderate politicians and the majority of women, on the other hand, strongly oppose the law.
The latest version of the reform provided for severe penalties. These include fines for multiple violations. In extreme cases, up to 15 years in prison and the equivalent of more than 5,000 euros in fines could be imposed. Foreign women could be expelled from the country. Celebrities are to be punished particularly severely for violations. The draft also provides for professional bans of up to 15 years.
The criminal reform is a response by the clerical and political leadership to the mass protests led by women against the Islamic Republic in the fall of 2022. The Judicial Commission used a political trick to approve the criminal reform last year without a vote in the plenary session of parliament. The Guardian Council then blocked the law and demanded improvements. Since then, the draft has been bouncing between Parliament and the Council.
For several weeks now, Iran's police have been taking a stricter approach to controlling Islamic dress codes. According to the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, this has led to numerous arrests of girls and women. Hundreds of businesses have been closed because they have not implemented strict headscarf controls. The headscarf requirement is considered one of the ideological pillars of the Islamic Republic.
©Keystone/SDA
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