Kurdish-Iranian Woman Whipped 74 Times in Tehran for Not Wearing Hijab
An Iranian human rights activist revealed that Roya Heshmati, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, was subjected to 74 lashes after a photo of her without a hijab was published in Tehran. Heshmati has been an outspoken critic of Iran’s hijab law.
The Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw shared an account of the flogging, stating that Heshmati refused to wear the hijab during the punishment. She was handcuffed and forcibly had a scarf placed on her head, despite her resistance.
Describing the room where the sentence was carried out as a “fully-equipped medieval torture chamber,” Heshmati recalled quietly chanting as the flogging was being carried out. She also disclosed the judge’s discomfort with the case but insisted on its implementation.
Heshmati’s lawyer, Maziar Tatai, revealed that she had been arrested and had her possessions confiscated for publishing a photo without a hijab. The charges against her were changed several times throughout the process.
The Mizan News Agency confirmed the 74 lashes but stated that she was not convicted for not wearing a hijab, instead, she was convicted of “promoting promiscuity” and receiving money from an organized movement abroad.
The Iranian government has intensified the enforcement of hijab laws, introducing new measures such as using surveillance cameras. This comes in the wake of nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for incorrectly wearing her hijab and later died.
Vice President Mohammad Dehghan addressed a new bill that aims to increase penalties for not wearing the hijab, stating that the bill has been under review due to objections from the Guardian Council.
The crackdown on women not wearing hijab continues in Iran, with the government pushing for stricter enforcement and penalties.
