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Iran installs cameras in public to monitor women taking off hijab

Iranian police will send text messages to women who break the country's dress code rules
Iranian women shop at the bazaar of Tajrish in northern Tehran on January 25, 2023. Iran said it will also urge business owners to report women who are not wearing the veil (AFP)

Iranian police have installed cameras in public places and thoroughfares to stop women from taking off the hijab and violating the country's dress code.

In a statement, police said that those who violate the country's rules would receive a "warning text message as to the consequences" of their actions. 

The police statement also urged business owners to "seriously monitor the observance of societal norms with their diligent inspections".

Many Iranian women have been taking off their veils and publicly posting about it online in protest against the government since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody last year after being arrested for allegedly wearing her mandatory hijab "inappropriately".

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Despite security forces violently putting down the protest against Amini's death, many women continue to defy the obligatory dress code in malls, restaurants, shops and streets. 

After the 1979 revolution, Iran enforced laws demanding women to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. Those who violate the law face public rebuke, fines or arrest. 

After the public outcry following Amini's death, the interior ministry said the veil was "one of the practical principles of the Islamic Republic" and vowed not to retreat on the issue.

The interior ministry also urged citizens to confront unveiled women who break the law. 

This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.

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