Iran's Parliament Approves Death Penalty for Pornographers

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's parliament has approved a bill that would give the death penalty to all persons convicted of being involved in the production of a pornographic film.

With only four abstentions, lawmakers voted 148-5 that "producers of pornographic works and main elements in their production are considered corruptors of the world and could be sentenced to punishment as corruptors of the world."

The "main elements" of porn production encompass directors, producers, cameramen and actors.

CNN reports that "corruptors of the world" is a term taken from the Quran, the Muslim holy book. The act is considered one of the most major criminal offenses in the country and is punishable by death.

Distributors and vendors of pornographic material — and even operators of websites that feature pornographic material — also are susceptible to punishment, a sentence that would range from one year in prison up to the death penalty.

The bill passed through parliament's culture committee last month, and must next be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member panel that holds veto power over all legislation, before it becomes law.

Saiid Mortazavi, president of Tehran's criminal court, has said previously that he would sentence to death all parties involved in making adult movies of any kind. The government has executed producers of adult material in the past.

Middle-eastern news site AKI reported in 2005 that a man who had made several adult movies with his wife was publicly hanged, and a female porn star was stoned to death after spending eight years in prison for appearing in an adult film.

The government turned a more attentive eye to the amateur porn market, which brings in up to $40 for each product, in November after a tape circulated featuring popular TV actress Zahra Air Ebrahimi performing a sexual act.

And in January, a group of 31 people faced the death sentence after being charged with producing an adult movie using a cellphone and sexually assaulting the actress featured in the film.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Industry Photog, 'Payout' Founder Mike B Passes Away

Longtime industry photographer and publisher Michael Bartholomey, known widely as Mike B, passed away Saturday.

FSC Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Nominees

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced the nominees for its 2025 Board of Directors election.

AdultHTML Launches Black Friday Web Design, Development Promo

AdultHTML has launched its annual Black Friday/Cyber Monday promo for web design and development, running through Dec. 5.

Canada Exempts Online Adult Content From 'CanCon' Quotas

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has updated its broadcasting regulatory policies, exempting streaming adult content from “made in Canada” requirements that apply to other online material.

Creator Law Firm 'OnlyFirm' Launches

Entertainment attorney Alex Lonstein has officially launched OnlyFirm.com for creators.

German Court Puts Pornhub, YouPorn 'Network Ban' on Hold

The Administrative Court of Düsseldorf has temporarily blocked the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM) from forcing telecom providers to cut off access to Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn.

FSC: NC Law Invalidating Model Contracts Takes Effect December 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that North Carolina's Prevent Exploitation of Women and Minors Act goes into effect on December 1.The announcement follows:

Ofcom Investigates More Sites in Wake of AV Traffic Shifts

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into 20 more adult sites as part of its age assurance enforcement program under the Online Safety Act.

MintStars Launches Debit Card for Creators

MintStars has launched its MintStars Creator Card, powered by Payy.

xHamster Settles Texas AV Lawsuit, Pays $120,000

Hammy Media, parent company of xHamster, has settled a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law, agreeing to pay a $120,000 penalty.

Show More