Risk of unrest delays Iran's controversial Hijab law
The Iranian government said on Tuesday that the implementation of the controversial "Chastity and Hijab" law has been postponed due to the potential unrest it may spark.
The Iranian government said on Tuesday that the implementation of the controversial "Chastity and Hijab" law has been postponed due to the potential unrest it may spark.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokeswoman for the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, said at a press conference: "Some clauses of the law could have had social consequences, and with these considerations and with wisdom, it was postponed."
She said that the law has been postponed twice.
The announcement comes despite repeated calls from hardliners for the law’s swift enforcement in a bid to combat the country's mass hijab rebellion in the wake of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
In mid-December, Iran's vice-president for parliamentary affairs, Shahram Dabiri, announced that the administration is drafting a bill to amend the hijab law, which the Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had promised would take effect on December 13.
Fearing social unrest, Mohajerani said no alternative legislation regarding hijab is currently under consideration.
Expert work has begun within the Presidential Legal Department, but she indicated that formulating new legislation on the issue would be a lengthy process.
The government's delay in implementation suggests a recognition of the potential for further social unrest, particularly given the widespread protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police.
However, the pause is not reflective of any shift in the government's stance on the issue. "Iranian women have been chaste since ancient Iran," Mohajerani said.
The final text of the so-called "Support for Family through Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab" law, published by Iranian media in December, has faced widespread criticism and protests.
In December, UN experts expressed their concerns about the law's implications in a statement in December.
Human Rights group Amnesty International also condemned the law, saying it would intensify the repression of women and girls and warning that Iranian authorities are attempting to solidify the existing system of oppression against women.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), over 30,000 women in Iran faced legal action in 2024 for defying mandatory hijab.
Satellite internet usage in the country increased 20-fold in 2024 with over 30,000 unique users contributing to the surge, the head of the Internet and Infrastructure Committee at the E-Commerce Association Pouya Pirhosseinlou said.
"Over 30,000 unique users are utilizing satellite internet, suggesting that the total number of satellite internet users exceeds 100,000," he told news agency ILNA. "This indicates that we will likely witness further growth in the use of this technology in the country in the future."
The primary appeal of Starlink lies in its unrestricted free access and high speed, two features largely absent in Iran, which ranks near the bottom of the global Internet Freedom Index.
Starlink gained prominence in Iran following the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which erupted after the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in morality police custody for hijab.
The government responded to the demonstrations with internet blackouts and extensive filtering, prompting many Iranians to turn to satellite services like Starlink for unrestricted online access.
In December, Forbes estimated that 20,000 Iranians were using Starlink despite its official prohibition.
Now, with over 100,000 users, the service has become a critical tool for bypassing censorship and government-imposed disruptions.
The US government’s decision to lift certain export restrictions on internet services to Iran in 2022 enabled billionaire Elon Musk-owned SpaceX to provide Starlink access in the region.
Starlink is prohibited in Iran. Government censors have blocked access to apps such as Telegram, Instagram and X as well, and authorities frequently arrest individuals for online statements deemed anti-Islamic or critical of the Islamic Republic.
Pirhosseinlou acknowledged the benefits of satellite internet but warned of its economic impact: “Using Starlink is the most expensive method of internet access, which disrupts the communications economy, drains hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency from the country and diminishes hope for domestic improvements to internet services.”
Despite the high costs, the growing adoption of Starlink reflects dissatisfaction with local alternatives, including Iran’s government-controlled fiber-optic internet.
Meanwhile, Iran's government has lobbied the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to exclude the country from satellite internet coverage. Efforts to curb Starlink's influence highlight its role as a contentious element in Iran's ongoing struggle between state control and digital freedom.
The rights organization Freedom House ranked Iran as having the world’s third most restrictive internet environment, criticizing the Islamic Republic for criminalizing online dissent in an effort to increase voter turnout and legitimize presidential polls.
"(Authorities) criminalized any content that encouraged election boycotts or protests, or that criticized candidates ... (for) higher voter turnout to make the election seem legitimate, despite the arbitrary disqualification of most candidates," the group said in a report in October.
The expanding reach of Starlink represents a shift in Iran's internet landscape, offering a lifeline for those seeking unrestricted online access amidst heightened governmental control and censorship.
Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, accused of transferring drone technology to Iran, was arrested at Milan Airport on a US warrant. Washington says the technology was used in an attack in February near the Jordan-Syria border that killed three American soldiers, an assertion Iran denies.
“The freezing of the United States' extradition request to Italy for Iranian Mohammad Abedini-Najafabadi, detained since December 16 in Milan's Opera prison on an American warrant, was the primary objective of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's swift visit to Mar-a-Lago, the Florida residence of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to be sworn in on January 20,” wrote the Italian newspaper Il Giornale on Monday.
The suspension gives Italy a brief window to negotiate the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, detained in Tehran since December 19.
“The tipping point may come on January 15, when the Court of Appeal in Milan is set to rule on the request for house arrest for Abedini. This decision could allow the Italian government to advocate for a similar measure for Sala,” added Il Giornale.
Tehran made clear to Rome that the freedom of the Italian reporter detained in Iran depends on Italy's release of Abedini, a source familiar with discussions between the journalist's family and the Italian government told Iran International.
Iran, the source said, is prepared to free Sala “on humanitarian grounds" if the Italian government drops the extradition proceedings against Abedini and grants his release from Milan's brooding La Opera prison.
Iran denies link between Sala and Abedini cases
Tehran has denied any connection between the two detentions. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, “These two issues are completely unrelated. The Italian journalist was detained for violating Iranian laws, while the Iranian individual is in custody for circumventing US sanctions.”
The Iranian embassy in Rome also claimed Sala is being treated humanely, while urging Italy to expedite action for Abedini’s release.
Tensions over Sala’s detention escalated after the Italian foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador in Rome, Mohammadreza Sabouri, on January 2 to demand her immediate release.
Domestically, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s diplomatic efforts have drawn praise. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posted on X: “Well done Giorgia Meloni for visiting Donald Trump to talk about peace, industrial and commercial cooperation, security, and the freeing of Cecilia Sala.”
Milan’s Chief Prosecutor has opposed Abedini’s conditional release, while Meloni is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden in Rome on January 12 to further discuss Sala’s detention.
The temporary suspension of Abedini’s extradition shows the high stakes for Meloni’s government torn between Washington and Tehran as it navigates the complexities of securing Sala's release, addressing what rights groups and nations such as France have branded as Iran’s 'state hostage-taking'.
