Iranian court sentences man to write out religious book for wearing shorts
A court in the Iranian holy city of Qom sentenced a 26-year-old man to rewrite a religious book by hand as punishment for wearing shorts while skateboarding.
A court in the Iranian holy city of Qom sentenced a 26-year-old man to rewrite a religious book by hand as punishment for wearing shorts while skateboarding.
His father, a practicing attorney, said that officers had handcuffed his son and transferred him to the local police station, where he was held overnight, legal advocacy website Dadban reported on Thursday without providing their names.
The young man was released on bail during a preliminary investigation but a judge on Friday sentenced him to write out the whole text of the religious book “Thirty Minutes in the Afterlife” as part of his sentence.
The book is reportedly used to illustrate Islamic concepts of the afterlife, divine judgment and personal accountability, often drawing from Shi'ite religious teachings and narratives about the Day of Judgment.
“Wearing shorts is not a crime and cannot be considered as provoking public sentiment,” the father said. “I have filed a complaint against the police station and the prosecutor for their unlawful behavior.”
“Iranian law contains no provision criminalizing the wearing of shorts by men. The act also does not fall under articles of the Islamic Penal Code, which addresses public acts of immorality, and therefore cannot be legally classified as a crime,” Dadban reported.
Iran enforces Islamic dress codes primarily through mandatory hijab regulations for women and girls, while men are also expected to observe modesty standards, such as avoiding shorts and keeping their shoulders and knees covered — although there is no written law prescribing specific clothing rules for men.
