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Iranwire – Iranian writer and translator Sepideh Rashnu has been ordered to begin serving a three-year and seven-month prison sentence for protesting against mandatory hijab laws.
According to a summons issued by Branch One of the Criminal Enforcement Office at Tehran’s Evin Prison, Rashnu must report within five days to begin her sentence.
The case stems from a 2022 incident when she was arrested after a video showed her arguing with a hijab-wearing woman on a bus.
Two weeks later, state TV aired a program showing her giving a forced confession, with signs of beatings visibly apparent on her face.
“I never thought my first task of the day would be to check the enforcement summons – especially for something that happened two years ago,” Rashnu wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
She faces multiple legal challenges, including a separate case involving her university suspension, which resulted in a fine rather than imprisonment.
The sentence comes amid uncertainty over Iran’s new “Chastity and Hijab” law.
Parliamentary spokesperson Abbas Goudarzi confirmed the law’s approval by Parliament and the Guardian Council but stated that its implementation has been delayed at the request of the Supreme National Security Council to allow for government revisions.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had previously announced that the law would take effect on December 13, but its implementation was postponed pending government amendments.
The legislation has drawn significant criticism from human rights organizations and activists.
Rashnu revealed that her legal troubles extend beyond the bus incident.
A second case, stemming from her posts about her university suspension and sharing what authorities deemed an “indecent photo” of herself on Instagram, shows the broader scope of Iran’s enforcement of social regulations.
She has filed a third appeal for retrial.
All women in Iran are mandated to conceal their hair with a hijab while in public and wear loose-fitting trousers under their coats.
