Registration of "temporary marriages" voted down in Iran

Islamic Republic Parliament

The controversial Family Protection bill was dealt a blow at the Islamic parliament today as one of its articles outlining legal registration of "temporary marriages" was voted down.

ILNA reports that Article 21 of the new bill failed to pass through the parliament with only 45 votes in favour of it.

The article was one of the points women’s rights activists objected to in the so-called Family Protection bill.

The Family Protection bill was first introduced into the parliament three years ago but protests against some of its articles delayed its ratification.

Recently the parliament has re-focused its attention on this bill which has led to severe criticism from women’s rights activists.

The most controversial article of the bill is Article 23 which proposes to further pave the way for men's exercise of polygamy by scrapping the current conditions of first wife’s consent and proof of financial means which have to be satisfied before men are allowed to take on a second wife.