Iranian security forces detained a female student on Saturday after she publicly removed her clothing at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University, reportedly in protest of harassment by security officials enforcing Iran’s strict dress code. Footage circulated on social media shows the young woman, who has not been identified, stripping down to her underwear and walking outside the university campus, while nearby students and onlookers watched in shock.
The incident follows an alleged confrontation in which members of the Basij paramilitary force reportedly ripped the student’s headscarf and tore at her clothing, according to the Amir Kabir newsletter, a student media outlet.
An icon of defiance. Iranian women have courage exemplified by this University student. She was beaten, arrested and admitted to a mental institution. pic.twitter.com/gnAhqSepd5
— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) November 3, 2024
Amnesty International has since called for her immediate and unconditional release, describing the incident as a protest against Iran’s “abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling” and urging Iranian authorities to allow her access to legal representation and family visits. The rights organization also demanded an impartial investigation into reports that the woman may have been beaten and subjected to violence during her arrest. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, stated that she would be monitoring the incident and the Iranian government’s response closely.
Iran’s authorities must immediately & unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested on 2 Nov after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/lI1JXYsgtm
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) November 2, 2024
Iranian authorities, however, have painted a different picture. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the student was taken to a psychiatric hospital following her arrest, and Islamic Azad University officials have indicated that they are investigating her motives. University spokesperson Seyed Amir Mahjoub stated on social media that the student’s actions were under review and rejected the notion that her protest was related to the dress code enforcement, instead suggesting possible mental health concerns. The conservative Fars news agency further reported that the student “arrived inappropriately dressed for class” and stripped after security guards allegedly spoke to her “calmly.”
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2022 case of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman whose death in police custody sparked widespread protests across Iran. Amini had been detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly failing to wear her hijab in compliance with Iran’s dress code.
Her death ignited demonstrations against the government, with thousands of Iranian women defiantly removing their headscarves and, in some cases, burning them in protest. These protests were met with a severe crackdown, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. The Iranian government has since denied allegations of abuse and torture within its detention facilities, though human rights groups have documented numerous claims of mistreatment.
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