Tehran’s prosecutor’s office opened a judicial case on Monday, November 9, 2026, against an obstetrician and gynecologist after the release of a video in which the doctor spoke about the births of four babies to single mothers, according to published reports. In the video, the doctor described women who had knowingly decided to become mothers even though they knew the children’s fathers would not be at their side.
The Judiciary’s Media Center claims the doctor was unable to produce documentation for these statements. On that basis, the charge of “spreading falsehoods” was formally communicated to the doctor and the doctor’s online page was blocked. No arrest has been reported so far, and the doctor’s identity has not been officially announced.
Whatever the accuracy of the claim about a rise in single mothers, this judicial response raises a more important question: the standing of women who become mothers outside formal marriage, and the rights Iran’s legal system recognizes for them and their children.
Under Iranian law, becoming a mother without marriage is not in itself a crime, but sexual relations outside marriage are criminalized under the jurisprudential categories of “zina” and “illicit relations.” Articles 221 and 637 of the Islamic Penal Code are the basis for that criminalization. Articles 1167 and 884 of the Civil Code, in addition, impose limits on legal lineage and inheritance for children born of zina, although judicial practice has recognized certain parental obligations, including obtaining a birth certificate for the child.
This approach sits far from legal developments in many countries and from international human rights standards, where protection of mother and child does not depend on the existence of a marital bond. Germany’s Basic Law, for instance, guarantees every mother the right to the community’s protection and care regardless of her marital status, and stresses equal rights for children born inside and outside marriage. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child likewise stress the protection of mothers and the prohibition of discrimination against children on the basis of their birth or their parents’ relationship.
From a human rights standpoint, a woman’s marital status, the religious legitimacy of her relationship with the child’s father, or the father’s presence or absence cannot justify depriving mother and child of legal protection, health services, social security, and their fundamental rights. The state is obliged, without passing judgment on women’s private lives, to protect the health of mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth and to protect the child’s independent rights.
Taking judicial action against a doctor for speaking about such a reality raises serious concerns about freedom of expression, the ability to raise social issues, and the professional security of medical staff. A responsible answer to the question of single mothers lies not in denying the issue or criminally punishing those who speak of it, but in recognizing social realities, ending legal discrimination, and guaranteeing effective protection for all mothers and children, whatever their parents’ marital status.