Iranian women arrested
2004-08-07 13:40
Tehran - Nearly 200 Iranian women wearing head coverings considered insufficient under the country's Islamic code have been arrested, newspapers reported on Saturday.
Iranian security forces launched raids in cities of central Semnan and northern Gilan provinces, arresting 183 women in recent weeks, the reports said.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, all post-pubescent females have been required to wear the veil and a long coat concealing their bodily form, or face fines or imprisonment.
Some 132 "badly covered" women were picked up in Semnan Province, the Sharq daily reported, adding that 69 of them face trial.
Another 1 250 women in the province have received verbal warnings to respect the Islamic dress code, police told the paper.
In Gilan, 51 women and girls were arrested "to fight open spectacles of corruption," the Iran newspaper quoted provincial security forces as saying.
Similar raids have been reported in recent weeks, mainly in Tehran shopping centres.
Police have been seen taking scores of teenaged girls from commercial centres, while both police and Islamic militiamen have also reportedly stepped up raids on private parties where they suspect the presence of alcohol or mixed-sex dancing.
Observers said that although such anti-vice operations occur every summer, the crackdown could be a sign of further tightening of rules in the wake of February's parliamentary election, which resulted in a shift to the right.
In large cities in recent years, many women have progressively flouted the rules by wearing skimpy headscarfs and brightly coloured short coats.
Women ignoring the Islamic dress code can be jailed for up to two months or fined between 50 000 and 500 000 rials ($6.25 and $62.50).