Feasibility of Criminalizing Non-Compliance with Hijab from the Perspective of Iranian Law and Human Rights Obligations: Emphasizing the Right to Privacy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in International Law of Mofid University, Qom, Iran

2 Associate Prof. of Law Department of Mofid University, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

Compulsory hijab and criminal penalties have sparked protests by women’s‑rights advocates in Iran and increased scrutiny from human‑rights bodies. This study analyzes the tension between religious and legal obligations to wear hijab and the right to privacy, and examines the criminalization of non‑compliance. Using a descriptive‑analytical method to review relevant texts, the research finds that international human‑rights norms permit restricting privacy rights in public when limitations are lawful, necessary, and proportionate. Nonetheless, while criminalizing some instances of non‑observance may be justifiable in limited circumstances, imposing criminal sanctions at the outset has lost social legitimacy. Early punitive measures often fail to respect certain jurisprudential and human‑rights principles and are disproportionate to public sentiment, undermining their legitimacy and effectiveness. The study concludes that criminal punishment, as initially applied, is unlikely to secure women’s compliance and recommends reconsidering punitive approaches in favor of more proportionate, rights‑respecting measures and emphasizing education and dialogue instead.

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References

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Criminal Law Research
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 33
Papers
July 2026
Pages 121-133

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