Iranian politician Ali Shamkhani is being accused of “hypocrisy” over a resurfaced video reportedly showing his daughter’s wedding ceremony.
Shamkhani was part of the government when Iran arrested thousands of protesters advocating for gender equality. The backlash over the wedding, especially regarding the bride’s dress, follows a report detailing strict surveillance on women in public to ensure compliance with mandatory hijab use.
Highlights
- Ali Shamkhani, an aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader, is facing backlash over a resurfaced wedding video of his daughter’s wedding.
- The woman appears wearing a white wedding dress, styled more like those of Western ceremonies.
- In Iran, women are persecuted for not wearing hijabs, subjected to public surveillance and facing arrests, according to a UN report.
Shamkhani served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) between 2013 and 2023.
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The footage from the 2024 ceremony shows Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into a wedding hall at Tehran’s luxury Espinas Palace Hotel.
In the video, shared by the independent network Iran International, the bride is seen wearing a strapless white dress with a low neckline as she enters the hall.
Women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote, “The daughter of Ali Shamkhani, one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers, had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranians furious.”
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“The morality police, unemployment, and poverty belong to the Iranian people, while the lavish ceremony funded by the nation’s money belongs to the Islamic Republic,” another person fumed on X.
Alireza Akhondi, a Swedish MP of Iranian descent, shared, “'The daughter of one of the most corrupt and repressive officials of the Islamic Republic is getting married in a lavish celebration, dressed freely.
“She is free because her father has power. This is no longer religion. This is a display of hypocrisy, corruption, and fear. Fear of women who think and choose freely.”
The 2024 wedding footage reportedly shows Shamkhani’s daughter, Fatemeh, in Tehran’s luxury Espinas Palace Hotel
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In contrast, supporters wrote that the footage showed “a normal Iranian wedding” and argued there was “nothing lavish” about it.
Shamkhani is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and has served as a political advisor to the Supreme Leader since 2023.
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In 2022, thousands of women and girls marched following the tragedy of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who unexpectedly lost her life while in custody of the country’s morality police after being arrested for “improper” clothing and failing to comply with state-mandated dress and behavior.
Government coroners cited “multiple organ failure caused by cerebral hypoxia,” but Amini’s family was reportedly not allowed to examine her body.
At her funeral in Iran’s Kurdistan province, some women removed their mandatory headscarves in protest, leading to clashes with security forces. The protests later spread to other cities, accompanied by the slogan: Woman, Life, Freedom.
In Iran, posters remind women to wear hijabs in malls, restaurants, and other public spaces
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According to Human Rights Watch, 20,000 people were arrested after participating in the protests.
Last March, the BBC reported that Iran was using drones and security cameras to monitor hijab compliance and identify women who violated the country’s strict dress code.
The report also noted that security officials are also employing a strategy of "state-sponsored vigilantism," encouraging citizens to use phone apps to report women for dress code violations in taxis, buses, and ambulances.
Authorities have allegedly installed facial recognition software at the entrance of Tehran's Amirkabir University to identify women not wearing the headscarf.
Women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad highlighted the contrast between the wedding dress and the oppression of ordinary women
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For Iranian women who defy the laws or protest against them, the consequences are severe, including arrest, beating, and s*xual assault in custody.
"Two-and-a-half years after the protests began in September 2022, women and girls in Iran continue to face systematic discrimination, in law and in practice, that permeates all aspects of their lives, particularly with respect to the enforcement of the mandatory hijab," reads a report by the UN’s Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"The state is increasingly reliant on state-sponsored vigilantism in an apparent effort to enlist businesses and private individuals in hijab compliance, portraying it as a civic responsibility."
The government has reportedly employed a system of “state-sponsored vigilantism” to report women who leave their heads uncovered
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On how the surveillance system works, the report cited by the BBC says that users may add the location, date, time and license plate number of the vehicle in which the alleged infraction occurred. The app then “flags” the vehicle, alerting the police.
A text message is sent to the vehicle’s registered owner, warning them that their car could be impounded for violating the dress code.
Despite the crackdown on women, many continue to defy the rules and refuse to wear a headscarf, The Guardian reported.
People reacted negatively to the video of the bride's wedding dress
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