Iranian Hijab Rebels Whipped, Given Jail Term

An Iranian woman received 74 lashes for defying the Islamic Republic’s mandatory hijab, while another hijab refuser was given a two-year prison sentence.

Iranian authorities on Wednesday executed the sentence of 74 lashes on Roya Heshmati, a woman who had been convicted for refusing to adhere to the compulsory hijab in accordance with a court's orders in Tehran.

Heshmati, a vocal critic of compulsory hijab, shared a distressing account of her experience during the execution of her sentence. She disclosed that on the day of the punishment, she, accompanied by her lawyer, arrived at the enforcement unit to undergo the 74 lashes. Heshmati stressed that upon entering the courthouse, she had removed her hijab, and when officials admonished her to cover up, she defiantly asserted, "I have come to receive my lashes; I won't cover up."

According to Heshmati, the enforcement officer threatened to intensify the lashes and open a new case against her for non-compliance with hijab if she did not cover up.

Providing a vivid description of the whipping room, Heshmati wrote, "They opened the iron door. The room had cement walls. There was a small bed in the corner with iron shackles on both sides... A medieval torture chamber."

The international community strongly condemns the use of degrading and inhumane punishments, such as flogging, which is explicitly prohibited under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Iran's continued use of such humiliating punishments sets it apart as one of the few countries that still resort to such practices.

In another case, Zeynab (Bahar) Khonyabpour, a resident of Behbahan in Ahvaz province and an opponent of compulsory hijab, has been sentenced to two years in prison for sharing photos without hijab on social media. Her lawyer, Sajjad Chatrsefid, confirmed that she was sentenced to imprisonment by the Behbahan Criminal Court.