April 25, 2023, 10:53 AM
April 25, 2023, 10:53 AM
Iran accused two prominent actresses of posting photos of themselves breaking the country’s women’s dress code, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on such violations, local media reported.
Tehran police referred the case against Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to the Iranian judiciary, accusing them of “offense of removing hijab in public and post photos on the Internet,” the Tasnim news agency said late Monday.
If they are processed, actresses could face fines or prison terms.
Earlier this month, police said they would start using “smart” technology in public places to crack down on women who defy Iran’s mandatory dress code.
Last week, photos of Bahram, 53, went viral after she posed uncovered at a film screening, while Riahi, 61, posted several photos taken in public places in Tehran in which she was unveiled.
The requirement that women wear the veil in public it was imposed shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The number of women in Iran challenging the dress code has risen since a wave of protests sparked the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish Mahsa Amini on September 16 for allegedly raping him.
On April 16, authorities said they had closed 150 commercial establishments whose employees did not comply with the dress code.
Bahram and Riahi have won several awards at the Fajr International Film Festival, Iran’s premier film event.
In November, Riahi was released on bail after more than a week in detention for posting photos on Instagram in solidarity with Amini’s protests, showing her without a headscarf.
Riahi was the first Iranian actress in posting these types of images on social media in support of the protest movement.
