Police in Iran's capital say they will no longer arrest
women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code imposed since the
1979 revolution.
The reformist daily Sharq on
Thursday quoted Gen Hossein Rahimi, the Tehran police chief, as saying
“those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be taken
to detention centres, nor will judicial cases be filed against them”.
The semi-official Tasnim
news agency said violators will instead be made to attend classes given
by police. It said repeat offenders could still be subject to legal
action.
Younger and more liberal-minded Iranian women
have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing
loose headscarves that don't fully cover their hair and painting their
nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.
