The Islamic Republic of Iran has announced plans to open a clinic to provide “scientific and psychological treatment” for women who defy mandatory hijab laws. Mehri Talebi Darestani, head of the Women and Family Department of the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, unveiled the initiative, drawing sharp criticism from Iranian women and human rights advocates.

Prominent human rights lawyer Hossein Raeesi condemned the clinic, stating it is “neither Islamic nor aligned with Iranian law.” He also voiced concern about its endorsement by a department directly under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The announcement has ignited backlash among many young women, fueling both fear and defiance. It comes amid a broader crackdown on women deemed in breach of hijab laws, with reports of arrests, torture, and forced disappearances.

“The ‘Hijab Rehab Clinic’ is the Islamic Republic’s response to the rebellion of women who refuse to be subjugated and silenced. The regime has a long history of hospitalizing dissidents and forcefully medicating them to ‘cure’ them of their ‘mental health issues.’ This is because the regime prefers to perpetuate the desired narrative that no sane person would ever object to being systematically and deliberately dehumanized. This clinic is just another step in spreading the myth of hijab as empowering and a choice,” Sara Ghorbani, a women’s rights activist known for her outspoken stance on the dangers of radical Islam, told More to Her Story.

Last week, Ahoo Daryaei, a university student in Tehran, was arrested after stripping to her underwear in protest of mandatory hijab laws and sexual harassment. She was later transferred to a psychiatric hospital where she has not been heard from since.

Additionally, the Center for Human Rights in Iran reported the case of Roshanak Molaei Alishah, a 25-year-old woman arrested after confronting a man who harassed her over her hijab. Her whereabouts remain unknown.

The proposed clinic and escalating repression have drawn international condemnation, spotlighting the continued struggle for basic women’s rights and autonomy in Iran.