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

Rights Groups File Amicus Brief Supporting Backpage Defendants

Woodhull Freedom Foundation has joined Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Reason Foundation, and Electronic Frontier Foundation in filing an amicus brief in support of an appeal by the former operators of Backpage.com.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Ban on Choking in Online Adult Content

British lawmaker Jessica Asato stated in an interview aired on Sunday that she plans to ask Parliament to outlaw online adult content featuring the act of choking.

Feet4Cash Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Feet4Cash has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

VPN Usage Surges in France After Aylo Restricts Access to Pornhub

France has experienced a surge in virtual private network (VPN) signups after Aylo, which operates Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn, cut off access to those sites in the country in the wake of new age verification regulations, business news site MENAFN is reporting.

New Creator Directory 'TrustyFans' Launches

TrustyFans, a newly launched directory designed to help fans discover their favorite creators, is now live.

Corey Silverstein to Host Webinar on 'SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling'

Where Does Age Verification Go From Here," to livestream July 10 at 4 p.m. (EDT).

FSC Publishes Guidance on Google Analytics Lawsuits

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published guidance on how adult websites can protect themselves in the wake of several consumer class action lawsuits filed against sites for using Google Analytics.

BranditScan, CreatorTraffic Partner for 'Creators & Agencies' Initiative

BranditScan and advertising network CreatorTraffic have partnered for an initiative to help creators and agencies generate traffic and protect their content.

Teasy Agency Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Teasy Agency has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Aylo, Pineapple Support Partner for Mental Health Video Series

Aylo has teamed up with Pineapple Support to create a safety video series aimed at educating performers and creators about mental health.

Show More