Atleast 12 Female Actors Banned From Working in Movies in Iran For Violating Hijab Law: Reports

Tehran, October 25: An official in Iran claimed on Wednesday that a dozen female actors have been barred from working for failing to follow the Islamic Republic's rigorous dress code, which includes required headscarves. "Those who do not follow the law will not be allowed to work," Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister, told reporters following the weekly cabinet meeting.

According to Iranian media, a dozen actresses who were found to be in violation of the hijab rule, including Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi, and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria, "will not be allowed to play roles in movies." During last year's large protests after the death in detention of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, Alidoosti and Riahi were among the public personalities briefly detained. Mahsa Amini Death: Anti-Hijab Law Protests Intensify in Iran As Demonstrators Hurl Stones at Security Forces, Burn Vehicles (Watch Video).

Amini has previously been detained for allegedly breaking Iran's stringent female dress code. Her death sparked months of protests, which authorities labelled as "riots" instigated by foreign powers. Women have been increasingly defying the dress code, which demands head coverings and modest clothing, since last year's major protests. Iran Sentences Rapper Toomaj Salehi to More Than Six Years in Prison Over Protests, Say Supporters.

Since 1983, following Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, women have been required to cover their neck and head. Iran has increased its penalties for women and companies who violate hijab restrictions in recent months.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).