Iran installs cameras to find women not wearing hijab

Iranian authorities have begun installing cameras in public places to identify unveiled women, the police have announced. Women seen not covering their hair would receive a "warning text messages as to the consequences", police said.

Protests were sparked last year by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly violating the hijab rule. Since Ms Amini's death a growing number of women have been discarding their veils, particularly in larger cities, despite the risk of arrest.

A police statement published by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said the system used so-called "smart" cameras and other tools to identify and send "documents and warning messages to the violators of the hijab law".

Women have been legally required to cover their hair with a hijab (headscarf) since the 1979 Islamic Revolution installed a strict interpretation of religious law. Women who violate the law face fines or arrest.

Saturday's police statement described the veil as "one of the civilizational foundations of the Iranian nation" and urged business owners to uphold the rules through "diligent inspections".

Public attacks on unveiled women are not uncommon. Last week, a video of a man throwing yoghurt at two unveiled women was widely disseminated online and the women were subsequently arrested under the hijab law. The man was also arrested.