Iran: The Iranian Government decides not to penalize women without veils on the streets despite it being illegal

The vice president for Strategic Affairs of Iran, Javad Zarifstated this Wednesday that the Iranian Government has decided not to pressure Iranian women and is not penalizing women who do not wear the veil on the streets of the capital, although it is against the country’s laws.

“There are women who do not cover their heads on the streets of Tehran which is against the law, but the Government has decided not to put women under pressure“, said Zarif In an interview with the journalist of the CNN Fareed Zakaria in it World Economic Forum (WEF) of Davos.

Zarif affirmed that putting less pressure on women about their clothing is an electoral promise of the reformist president Masud Pezeshkian and that is being maintained with the “consent” of Parliament, the Judiciary and the Supreme National Security Council.

“It is not enough, they are steps in the proper direction”, defended the reformist politician, one of the friendliest faces of the Iranian political system.

Since the arrival of Pezeshkian to power in July, the feared Morality Police has disappeared from the streets of the capital, for example.

In the northern areas of the capital it is normal to see women who do not cover their hair or even wear a veil around their neck, something that has become a gesture of social disobedience since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 after being arrested for not wearing the hijab properly.

In response, Iranian authorities have tried to reimpose the use of the garment with punishments such as vehicle confiscation or fines, without success.

The mandatory veil has been applied at times over the years in the Persian country. At times the authorities have allowed some flexibility without arrests or punishments and in others, especially in spring and summer, pressure has increased to impose the strict code of islamic clothing.

The Iranian Parliament passed a law toughening penalties for not wearing the veil, but the promulgation of the law It was paralyzed when only the presidential signature was missing in December.

Zarif He also recalled that the Cabinet of Pezeshkian It has four women, such as the Minister of Housing and Highways, Farzaneh Sadegh; Vice President for Women’s Affairs, Zahra Behruz Azar; the vice president and head of the Department of the Environment, Shina Ansari, and Government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani.