Friday, September 19, 2025 - An Iranian court has sentenced Reza Seghati, the former head of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Gilan province, to 100 lashes and exile in connection with a widely publicized same-s3x scandal that cost him his post.
Seghati was a key figure in enforcing Iran's strict dress
codes. He was known for his ruthless adherence to the “chastity and hijab”
laws, which have intensified since Parliament passed new, sweeping legislation
in 2023. This law includes penalties of up to 15 years in prison and even the
death sentence for women who refuse to wear the veil. Authorities have deployed
advanced surveillance technology, including facial recognition on traffic
cameras, to identify and punish violators.
According to Iranian outlets including Ensaf News, the court
found Seghati (also Seqati) guilty of “lavat tafkhizi,” a same-s3x act defined
under Iran’s Islamic penal code as non-penetrative s3xual contact between
men.
Both Seghati and the other man seen in a leaked video were
handed 100 lashes and prison exile terms of one and two years respectively,
reports said.
Iran’s penal code prescribes severe punishments for same-sex
relations, including flogging and, in cases of penetrative intercourse or
repeat offenses, the death penalty.
Rights groups have long criticized these provisions, but
Iranian authorities say they are enforcing Islamic law.
The scandal began in July 2023 when a video surfaced online
allegedly showing Seghati engaged in sexual activity with another man.
The leak led to his dismissal from office and triggered a
political storm due to his past role as a vocal enforcer of Iran’s mandatory
hijab rules.
Ensaf News, citing an image of the judgment, also reported
that the son of a former senior Gilan official was sentenced to 10 years in
prison and exile for orchestrating what authorities described as a criminal
network that used secretly recorded videos to discredit rivals.
Other defendants are said to remain under
investigation.
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