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.