Iran Arrests Marathon Organizers Over Women Competing Without Hijab on Kish Island Amidst Rising Disregard for Dress Code Laws

Iran Arrests Marathon Organizers Over Unveiled Women at Kish Island Race

Iranian authorities have taken swift action, arresting two organizers of a recent marathon held on Kish Island. The arrests followed the emergence of images showing women participating in the race without observing the mandatory Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

This incident unfolds against a backdrop of increasing defiance towards Iran's strict dress code, particularly since the nationwide protests that erupted in 2022. The Islamic republic's judicial system has been under pressure from ultraconservative factions, who accuse it of lax enforcement of the mandatory headscarf law, fearing a perceived surge of Western influence within the country.

The Incident on Kish Island

Images widely circulated online from the December 5 marathon prominently featured several female runners not adhering to the stringent dress code, a law established in the early 1980s following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The judiciary's official Mizan Online website confirmed on December 6, the day after the event, that "two of the main organisers of the competition were arrested on warrants."

Further details revealed that "One of those arrested is an official in the Kish free zone, and the other works for the private company that organised the race." Approximately 5,000 individuals reportedly participated in the event, according to local media outlets.

Official Response and Legal Action

Prior to the arrests, a criminal case had already been initiated against the marathon's organizers. The local prosecutor, as quoted by Mizan Online, stated, "Despite previous warnings regarding the need to comply with the country’s current laws and regulations, as well as religious, customary and professional principles… the event was held in a way that violated public decency." The prosecutor further added that a criminal case was filed against the officials responsible for the event due to the observed violations.

Conservative media outlets, including Tasnim and Fars, were quick to condemn the marathon, labeling it as indecent and disrespectful to the Islamic laws implemented post-1979 revolution. Under these laws, women in Iran are legally bound to cover their hair and wear modest, loose-fitting attire in public.

Wider Context of Defiance and Political Standoff

However, adherence to these hijab regulations has noticeably waned since the 2022 protests, which were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman arrested for an alleged dress-code violation. The Supreme Leader's office itself recently faced criticism for publishing an image of an unveiled woman who died in the June conflict with Israel.

The ongoing debate over the hijab law highlights a significant domestic challenge. Earlier in the week of the marathon, a majority of parliamentarians criticized the judiciary for its perceived failure to uphold the hijab law, prompting Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei to call for stricter enforcement. Curiously, President Masoud Pezeshkian's government has declined to ratify a parliamentary bill that proposed severe penalties for women not adhering to the dress code.

This incident on Kish Island is not isolated. In May 2023, the head of Iran's athletics federation resigned following another controversial event where women participated without headscarves in a sporting competition held in the southern city of Shiraz.