This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Afsaneh Bayegan has become the latest actress to be convicted for her public opposition to Iran’s mandatory hijab law after being sentenced to two years in prison, as well as mandatory psychological treatment for what the court termed an “anti-family personality disorder.”
Bayegan’s sentence, handed down on July 19, follows similar punishments given to actresses Azadeh Samadi and Leila Bolukat as the Islamic regime cracks down on dissent over the hijab law following nationwide unrest sparked by the death in September of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged head scarf violation.
The recent usage of psychological treatment and other controversial punishments such as being made to wash corpses has outraged rights activists, who accuse the judiciary of disregarding human rights.
Azadeh Samadi’s sentence, issued by Tehran’s Criminal Court on July 18, stipulates that she must visit psychiatric centers “every two weeks” for treatment for an “anti-social disease,” culminating in a “certificate of health” to be presented to authorities, according to Iranian media.
Bolukat was sentenced to a one-year prison term for defying the country’s dress code by wearing a hat in place of a hijab.
Mehdi Kouhian, from the legal and judicial follow-up committee for the Iranian Cinema House, said Bayegan has to make weekly visits to psychiatric centers for her “anti-family personality disorder” and then “present a health certificate at the end of the treatment period.”
Bayegan, a veteran cinema and television actress, wore a hat in public.
Kouhian, a filmmaker and attorney, outlined additional penalties for Bayegan in a tweet, including a requirement to read and summarize a book within two months, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban on direct or indirect use of cyberspace. Kouhian criticized the Criminal Court for its use of “disgusting and shocking language.”
The Iranian Director’s Guild and the Producers’ Union reacted to the judgments on July 19 by releasing a joint statement calling the punishments an “insult to the intelligence of all cinema professionals.” They also pledged full support to all female Iranian cinema actors and filmmakers affected by such rulings.
These verdicts are causing a backlash on social media and among filmmakers, with the country’s actresses increasingly appearing in public without observing the mandatory hijab to show their opposition.
Such acts of civil disobedience have increased in Iran — where the law requires women and girls over the age of 9 to wear a head scarf in public — since Amini’s death.
While the protests appear to be waning, resistance to the hijab is likely to increase, analysts say, as it is seen now as a symbol of the state’s repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society.
Several Iranian cinematographers and prominent public figures have also been summoned by the police or arrested, including director Hamid Porazari.
