Two Iranian Actresses Face Legal Case for Flouting Hijab Rules

Iranian police say they have filed a legal case against two female actors, Katayoun Riahi and Panthea Bahram, who have recently appeared in public without a mandatory head covering.

The two actresses are accused of "removing hijab in public and publishing pictures on the internet," Tehran police said in a statement on April 24. 

Riahi and Bahram are among dozens of artists and sportspeople who have faced economic sanctions, travel bans or detention over the past months for flouting mandatory hijab rules and for supporting protesters' calls for more freedoms and women’s rights.

Riahi, one of the first Iranian actresses to remove her hijab in support of the protests, recently attended a funeral ceremony without wearing a headscarf. She was reportedly arrested in November 2022 and released on bail a week later.

Iranian social media users widely praised Bahram for attending the public screening of a production on April 19 without a head covering. The manager of Tehran cinema where the screening took place has been dismissed.

All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in public.

But a growing number of women have appeared in public without a hijab since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody in September, triggering nationwide anti-government protests. Amini had been arrested for allegedly wearing a headscarf improperly.

Some defiant women were arrested or summoned by the authorities, while many businesses were shut down due to the failure of owners or managers to observe hijab rules.

Many Iranian artists and celebrities have voiced support for the women-led protest movement and criticized the authorities’ brutal clampdown on dissent. Some of them have been arrested, summoned or banned, with Islamic Republic officials accusing them of "fanning the flames of the riots." 

Iranian authorities formed a secret committee last year to punish celebrities who backed the anti-government protests, the BBC reported on April 25.

In a letter dated September 22, just six days after the widespread protests began, the committee sent the Economy Ministry a list of 141 well-known figures, the broadcaster said.

The committee told the ministry to investigate their tax returns and take unspecified action against them.

The list included football legend Ali Daei, top actress Taraneh Alidoosti, filmmakers Asghar Farhadi, Pegah Ahangarani, Manijeh Hekmat, Barzou Arjomand and Shahin Samadpour, and former TV host Ehsan Karami.