Rasht – Maryam Karimi placed under electronic surveillance for defying compulsory hijab

Hengaw – Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Maryam Karimi, a Gilak woman from Rasht and an outspoken critic of Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, has begun serving a two-year and seven-month sentence under electronic surveillance. The sentence has been enforced since June 25, 2025.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Karimi, a designer and tour guide based in Rasht, was placed under electronic monitoring within the city limits as part of a court order. She was convicted of “promoting corruption and prostitution by encouraging civil disobedience and committing acts against public morality in public view.”

In a post on her account on the social media platform X, Karimi stated that Branch 12 of the Rasht Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Ali Sharif-Nejad, sentenced her to two years and seven months of electronically monitored confinement. The verdict was upheld in full by Judges Esmaeil Rostami Tarsari and Mohammad Sadegh Iran-Aghideh of Branch 11 of the Gilan Provincial Court of Appeals.

Karimi was first arrested in May 2024 following a raid by security forces on her home. She was charged with “propaganda against the state” and “promoting corruption and prostitution.” The charges were  based on photos shared on her Instagram account, which authorities claimed were evidence of public defiance against Iran’s hijab laws.