Iran arrests two more women for protesting compulsory hijab
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 February 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran arrests two more women for protesting compulsory hijab, 23 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b20dcad4.html [accessed 6 June 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. |
February 23, 2018 15:28 GMT
By RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Vida Movahedi was arrested in December for appearing on a Tehran street with an uncovered head and waving a white scarf, inspiring dozens of other Iranians to make similar protests.
Iranian security officers have arrested two women who protested against the compulsory hijab in Tehran by removing their head scarves in public and waving them while standing on utility boxes.
Shaparak Shadizadeh, one of the two women arrested, was taken into custody on February 21. Her family said she was beaten up during the arrest.
Another woman was reportedly arrested on February 22.
A video shows a police officer kicking her down from a utility box where she had staged her peaceful protest.
More than two dozen women in recent weeks have protested against a law requiring women to wear the Islamic veil in public.
Iranian police said in early February that they arrested 29 women who removed their head scarves in public.
Women's dress has been heavily scrutinized in the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution, when adherence to an Islamic dress code became compulsory.
The dress code dictates that women's hair and body must be covered in public.
Morality police launch regular crackdowns on those who are not fully respecting rules relating to the hijab.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
