New Hijab Crackdown Launched in Tehran

Thousands of women are arrested in Iran each year for their "inappropriate" dress.

TEHRAN -- Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedinia says a new campaign to crack down on dress code violations has been launched in the Iranian capital.

Sajedinia was quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying that police will go after clothing manufacturers and companies that import dresses deemed inappropriate.

He said authorities also will pursue individuals who wear the clothing.

Thousands of Iranian citizens are detained and fined each year during the annual crackdown, usually launched in spring, which aims at enforcing an Islamic dress code.

The hijab became compulsory following the 1979 revolution.

With reporting by the Mehr news agency and RFE/RL's Radio Farda