Iran Bars Women Without Hijab From Tehran Metro as Crackdown on Women’s Rights Continues

Iranian women who refuse to wear a hijab will be banned from using the Tehran metro, according to state TV. The move follows the establishment of new hijab enforcement teams in the capital, with footage showing metro staff refusing to allow women to pass through ticket barriers without a head covering. The clampdown on women’s freedoms comes in response to months of protests in which both women and men challenged repressive government tactics, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini was a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian who was stopped outside a metro station in Tehran and subsequently arrested for breaching strict codes on women’s clothing. She died in hospital just days later after being beaten by the “morality police.”

Iranian police have also announced that smart technology will be used to identify and punish women who are not wearing the hijab. Cameras will be installed on streets and existing closed-circuit TV traffic cameras will be used to identify unveiled women. Those caught without a headscarf will receive a warning text message and could face fines or have their cars impounded. Iranian authorities have accused unveiled women of being spies for enemy states.