Editor-in-Chief Of Iranian Daily Prosecuted Following Hijab Survey

Mehdi Rahmanian, the Editor-in-Chief of Shargh newspaper, has been deemed a criminal after the publication of a survey indicating that most Iranian are opposed to compulsory hijab.

Akbar Nasrollahi, the spokesperson for the Judiciary's Political and Media Crimes Courts, stated that the charges against Rahmanian involve the "dissemination of false information," based on the complaint filed by the Tehran Prosecutor regarding the "misleading headline" of an 84% opposition to compelling women to observe hijab, dated October 25, 2023.

On October 24, Shargh reported the results of its survey, reporting an 84% opposition among the public to mandatory hijab for women. The survey involved the participation of over 12,300 individuals.

The survey was released following the approval of a bill titled Chastity and Hijab by the Iranian parliament, indicating intentions to tighten restrictions in this regard.

Following the court session, addressing the complaint of the Supervisory Board of Press against Rahmanian, Nasrollahi noted that a verdict would be issued subsequently.

Simultaneously, the results of the survey were removed from Shargh's website.

Despite four decades of implementing the policy of compulsory hijab, Iranian women, especially after the recent nationwide protests in Iran, have openly opposed the policy by publicly removing their mandatory headscarves.