Iran MPs vote to toughen penalties for women who breach dress code

Iranian women who flout the mandating head coverings and modest clothing would face up to 10 years in prison under a bill passed on Wednesday.

Iran’s legislature approved “the ‘Support for the Culture of Hijab and Chastity’ bill for a trial period of three years,” the official IRNA news agency reported.

Under the bill, violations would be punished most severely if they are considered linked to what Iran regards as hostile foreign forces.

Women breaching the dress rules “in cooperation with foreign or hostile governments, media, groups or organisations” could face five to 10 years in prison.

Those seen “half-naked in public spaces” would also face lengthy jail terms.