Hijab Official Facing Death Penalty Over Same-Sex Video Is Detained

Reza Seqati, the former director-general of the culture ministry in Gilan province, is being held in detention, according to Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary.

On Monday, the criminal court in Tehran issued the detention order after investigating and evaluating the case.

In July, Seqati was dismissed from his official post after a video showing him engaging in sex with an unidentified man surfaced, potentially leading to the death penalty under Iranian law. Mizan referred to the video as the "indecent film in the Gilan case" and verified Seqati's involvement.

Senior Iranian lawmaker Hassan Norouzi called for the death penalty for Seqati in October, saying. "If the allegations against Reza Seqati are substantiated, there is an unequivocal necessity for imposing stringent consequences. He must face the full force of the law and be shoved off the mountain and be killed to teach a lesson to others."

Seqati, reported to be married with three daughters, was once recognized as a fervent supporter of compulsory hijab regulations in Gilan. Back in May, he declared the inauguration of a hijab hypermarket in the province and initiated efforts to set up a hijab exhibition at Rasht's central exhibition hall, emphasizing the production of clothing aligning with "Iranian-Islamic culture."

Reports last month hinted at Seqati assuming a new position, which the ministry promptly denied.

Some speculate that Seqati's arrest, several months after the incident, is a response to public criticism regarding the lack of arrests in the Debsh tea corruption case. Allegedly involving the embezzlement of funds from the Debsh Tea Company, the $3.5 billion corruption scandal implicates ministers of agriculture and industry, as well as the heads of the Central Bank of Iran and Iranian Customs Administration.