Law of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vices

Punishments by the Overseer

Article Twenty-Four:

(1) A person who publicly commits an immoral act will be punished by the overseer according to the severity of the sin and the offender. The punishments include:
1. Admonition.
2. Warning of the punishment of Allah.
3. Reprimanding with harsh words.
4. Punishment through financial loss.
5. Imprisonment from one hour to twenty-four hours in public detention facilities.
6. Imprisonment from one day to three days in public detention facilities.
7. Any other punishment deemed appropriate by the overseer that does not fall under judicial jurisdiction.

(2) The overseer must apply the punishments listed in paragraph (1) of this article while commanding good and forbidding evil.

Authority of the Heads and Supervisors Regarding Punishment

Article Twenty-Five:
1. The heads of urban and provincial departments of promotion of virtue and prevention of vice have the authority to impose the punishments listed in items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Article Twenty-Four, depending on the severity of the sin and the offender.
2. The supervisors of districts and sub-districts of promotion of virtue and prevention of vice have the authority to impose the punishments listed in items 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Article Twenty-Four, in consultation with the relevant head, depending on the severity of the sin and the offender.
3. If an offender does not amend their behavior after the application of punishments mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this article, they are referred to court.

Articles 24 and 25 codify extrajudicial moral policing by giving local “overseers” and department heads expansive authority to impose punishments for undefined "immoral acts." Sanctions range from verbal reprimands to imprisonment and financial penalties—all outside formal judicial procedures. The law sets no clear evidentiary standards or appeals process, effectively establishing a parallel, arbitrary justice system. While framed in religious language, these provisions institutionalize coercion and enable abuse, particularly against marginalized or dissenting individuals. By placing moral adjudication in the hands of unelected officials, the law erodes rule of law principles and entrenches systemic human rights violations