Tehran: Iran has summoned the editor-in-chief of the state-run news agency IRNA for clarification after it published images showing a woman without a hijab, according to authorities and a rights group on Thursday.

Wearing a headscarf in public has been mandatory for women in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and remains a key ideological principle of the country’s clerical leadership.

Judiciary confirms summons and warning

Iran’s judiciary-run Mizan Online website reported that the IRNA editor-in-chief “was summoned to the culture and media prosecutor’s office to provide explanations” following the publication of images that allegedly showed a woman not complying with Islamic laws and regulations.

The website further stated that the news outlet was also warned to remove the content.

Rights group says images were removed quickly

A US-based human rights organisation said IRNA had published the photo report on Tuesday and later taken down the images within a few hours of posting them online.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the report featured a woman without the compulsory hijab while she was at home and caring for a baby.

Photographer’s explanation cited

HRANA also quoted the photographer behind the project, Marzieh Mousavi, who clarified on her Instagram page that the intention of the story was not focused on clothing or appearance.

According to her statement, the central theme of the work was about temporarily caring for an abandoned newborn, rather than the depiction of hijab compliance.

Agency inputs