Plan to use cameras to enforce mandatory hijab law comes into effect in Iran: Reports

TEHRAN

The plan to use "smart systems" to enforce the mandatory Hijab law in Iran came into effect on Saturday across the country, according to local media reports.

Announced last week, the plan that aims to "prevent the violation" of headscarf law came amid a growing outcry from the country's powerful clergy and pro-Hijab demonstrations in some cities.

Ahmed-Reza Radan, the newly-appointed chief of police, on Friday stressed that the enforcement of the mandatory Hijab law through smart cameras "will be without mistakes."

His remark came in response to a question about the probability of surveillance cameras making errors while identifying women not wearing proper hijabs.

The police's information center last week announced it will be using smart cameras as an "innovative measure" to "prevent any tension and conflict with fellow citizens in enforcing the Hijab law."

Surveillance cameras will be put up in public places and thoroughfares to identify those who are seen "violating" the Hijab norms, the police statement noted.

The violators will receive messages on their phones, warning of "legal consequences" if the action is repeated.

The announcement came amid relaxation in the observance of mandatory Hijab since last September when 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died while in police custody after she was detained for violating the mandatory dress code norms.

Her death sparked countrywide protests that gradually turned violent, killing hundreds of people, both civilians and policemen and triggering months-long unrest.

Speaking at an event in Tehran on Saturday, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said the government is looking to resolve the issue of the Hijab "from a cultural point of view" while blaming the "enemy" for turning it into a "security issue."

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday termed Hijab a "religious and legal restriction" while calling on authorities to ensure full adherence to the law.

He blamed the non-observance of the Hijab on incitement by "enemy's spy agencies" and expressed confidence that the "issue will be resolved" through a "plan."

The mandatory Hijab law that came into force after the 1979 Iranian revolution makes covering of body and hair obligatory for women in the country.

Those found violating the law have in the past been fined, rebuked, or detained.