Iran arrests eight over internet posts of women without hijabs
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 May 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran arrests eight over internet posts of women without hijabs, 16 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5769011211.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 16, 2016
By RFE/RL
Iran has arrested eight people in a crack down against Internet posts showing female models who are not covering their heads with an obligatory hijab.
State-controlled television in Tehran said that it identified 170 people in the operation who are alleged to be part of a "network" using Instagram pages – including 58 models, 51 fashion designers, 59 photographers, and makeup artists.
It said the aim of the alleged network was "to undermine the foundation of family [values] in Iran."
Police have filed criminal charges against 29 people whom they described as the "main managers and networkers."
State television also broadcast what it said was a "confession" by one woman telling Tehran's prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi that she posted photos of herself on Instagram to earn money.
The charges against her were not clear.
State television has a history of airing so-called confessions that were made under duress.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during the weekend that the Internet was a "battlefield" where clerics and seminary students should fight "deviant and erroneous thoughts."
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
