Faced with a growing number of women defying the mandatory dress code, the head of Iran’s judiciary has threatened to prosecute “mercilessly” women who appear without the Islamic headscarf in public, Iranian media reported today.

His warning Golamhosein Mohseni Ezei it follows an announcement by the interior ministry on Thursday that the government’s law mandating the wearing of the hijab is being strengthened.

“Not wearing the hijab is tantamount to showing a hostile attitude towards (our) values,” Ezei was quoted as saying by various news sites. Those who “commit these illegal actions will be punished” and “pursued without mercy,” he said, without elaborating on what the punishment would entail.

Ezei said that members of law enforcement are “obliged to report to the judicial authorities the obvious crimes and any kind of illegal action that goes against the religious law and that happens in public places.”

More and more women in Iran are ditching their headscarves after the death last September, while in custody, of 22-year-old Mahsha Amini for violating the dress code. Her death sparked protests across the country that were suppressed by government forces. At risk of being arrested for not following the mandatory dress code, women are widely seen sans hijab in malls, restaurants, shops and streets across the country. Social media has been flooded with videos showing women without the Islamic headscarf.