Iran: 74 lashes for women who fail to wear the Hijab

Adnkronos International:

Judicial authorities in the central Iranian city of Isfahan have announced that women state employees who fail to wear the Islamic hijab or head scarf, face lashing as punishment. Isfahan's director general for Judicial Authority, Mohammad Ansari, apparently wants to apply to the letter an article in Iran's penal code stipulating 74 lashes for women who do not dress according to Islamic law including wearing the chador, the black veil that covers women from head to toe. READ MORE

Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election as Iranian president in June last year, pressure has increased on people to respect Islamic laws and morals. Many clothing shops have been subject to severe controls by the police, while the security staff at public buildings prevent women, who are not deemed to be dressed properly, from entering.

During the eight-year rule of Ahmadinejad's predecessor Mohammad Khatami, Islamic dress codes were not strictly enforced.