Under Iran’s Islamic law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are forced to cover their hair in public by wearing a veil or headscarf.

Under Iran’s Islamic law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are forced to cover their hair in public by wearing a veil or headscarf. 

At least 39 women were arrested last year in connection with anti-hijab protests and more now currently face decades worth of jail time, according to Amnesty.

In regard to the lengthy prison sentences, a group of UN human rights experts last month called on Iran to quash the convictions, saying, “We are alarmed that the arrest and lengthy sentences handed to these women are directly related to the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly in the pursuit of gender equality in Iran.