No jail for Iranian men over dowry debts

The new lenient policy is expected to save hundreds of men from being imprisoned each year for not stumping up the cash, which can reach the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of euros.

In Iran, a dowry or "Mehrieh" is often payable in gold coin-like tokens known as "bahar azadi" (Farsi for "spring of freedom"). The "Mehrieh" is paid by the groom or his father to the bride's family.

Abolfazl Abutorabi, a member of the Iranian parliament's legal and judiciary panel was quoted by Hamshahry newspaper as saying that instead of jail, a man can be ordered by the court to pay his dowry debt in installments.

A prison sentence may still be an option if a husband claims to be hard up, and is later found to have the means to pay.

Despite government attempts to discourage unreasonably high dowries, pre-marriage payments are often fiercely negotiated and can include property and other demands from the bride's family.

Instead of gold or cash, in recent years some women have sought better terms in their marriage contracts, including the right to work and, if necessary, no-fault divorce.

The dowry can be claimed at any time during a marriage or when getting divorced.

Until now, as well as prison, men who failed to pay their dowry often had their bank accounts and property confiscated by the court and were prevented from leaving the country until the debt was settled.

In 2008, an Iran court seized a man's flat after he failed to give his wife the 124,000 roses he promised in her dowry. At nearly 2 euros ($2) per rose, his florist bill was said to total nearly 250,000 euros, according to a report by E'temad newspaper.

The rising cost of dowries has led to an increase in couples cohabiting, much to the disapproval of the Islamist establishment.

Earlier this year, the country's first official matchmaking site launched, to encourage more couples to get hitched and reverse the falling marriage rate.

As well as the "Mehrieh," the bride's family offers a "Jahiz" to the groom, a range of gifts including jewelry, cash and furniture.

Sharia law still favors the man in Iran when it comes to divorce.

While popular in many countries, the giving of dowries is under increasing scrutiny due to the large number of disputes created by the exchanging of large amounts of cash.

mm/kms (AFP, Hamshahry, Reuters)