Iranian authorities have begun installing cameras in public places to identify women who are not wearing the hijab, the police announced, according to a BBC report. The police said that women seen without a headscarf would receive warning text messages outlining the consequences, a measure intended to prevent “resistance against the hijab law.”
The move follows protests sparked last year by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly violating the hijab rule. Since Amini’s death, an increasing number of women—especially in larger cities—have been discarding their veils despite the risk of arrest. A police statement published by the state‑run Islamic Republic News Agency said the system uses “smart” cameras and other tools to identify violators and send them documents and warning messages.
Women have been legally required to cover their hair with a hijab since the 1979 Islamic Revolution imposed a strict interpretation of religious law. Those who violate the law face fines or arrest. In the police statement released on Saturday, the veil was described as “one of the civilizational foundations of the Iranian nation,” and business owners were urged to enforce the rules through “diligent inspections.”
Public attacks on unveiled women are not uncommon. Last week, a video of a man throwing yoghurt at two unveiled women spread widely online; the women were subsequently arrested under the hijab law, and the man was also taken into custody. Since December, thousands of protesters in Iran have been arrested and four have been executed, yet hardliners continue to call for stricter enforcement.
Last Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that Iranian women must wear the hijab as a “religious necessity.” However, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni‑Ejei warned on Friday that a broad crackdown may not be the most effective way to encourage compliance. “Cultural problems must be resolved by cultural means… If we want to solve such problems by arresting and imprisoning, the costs will increase and we will not see the desired effectiveness,” he said.
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