Iranian authorities have arrested a young woman who was seen wandering around a Tehran university in her underwear, and while little is known about her whereabouts or condition, Amnesty International is calling for her “immediately and unconditionally” to be released from custody.
The unidentified young woman was filmed undressing before sitting down and walking around in a bra, underwear and flats outside the prestigious Islamic Azad University, an apparent protest against the country’s strict dress code.
In the videostudents and other onlookers are seen, wearing state-mandated hijabs and modest clothing.
Student media outlet Amir Kabir reported The woman was most likely protesting After she was harassed on campus that day by a volunteer paramilitary member for not wearing a hijab.
Under Iran’s mandatory dress code, women must wear the hijab and loose-fitting clothing in public.
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After she went out into the street in her underwear, another video clip showed her presence She was placed in a car by men in civilian clothes. Amir Kabir stated that she was beaten during her arrest, and there was no information available about the place to which the woman was taken.
“The Iranian authorities must do so immediately and unconditionally Release of the university student “She was violently arrested after taking off her clothes in protest against the arbitrary enforcement of the mandatory hijab by security officials,” Amnesty International Iran wrote on social media about the disturbing arrest.
“Pending her release, the authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment, and ensure access to her family and lawyers.”
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the woman was taken to a police station, but many still worried about her safety.
The UN special rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, said in a post on X on Saturday that it would be “Monitor this incident closely“Including the response of the authorities.”
University spokesman, Sayed Amir Mahjoub, said that the student was transferred to a psychiatric hospital after being detained, and that an investigation into her motives was underway.
In a Saturday post on X, Mahjoub rejected suggestions that the student protested the dress code and He questioned her mental state.
Wearing the hijab (or head covering) in public is mandatory for women under Iran’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, which is enforced by the country’s so-called morality police.
Iranian women can be subject to harsh penalties, even for minor violations.
In 2022, a woman who was being held by the morality police for wearing the hijab inappropriately died in police custody. Mahsa Amini’s death sparked protests around the world, and hundreds were killed in the Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on protests in the country.
To this day, many Iranian women continue to protest by removing their head coverings in public, even though doing so carries risks.
Last month, the United States, Canada and Australia imposed sanctions on a group of Iranian officials for their participation in suppressing protests and detaining people in connection with Amini’s death.
In March, a UN fact-finding mission concluded that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death. It also found that the Islamic Republic used “unnecessary and disproportionate use of lethal force” to quell demonstrations that broke out after Amini’s death, and that Iranian security forces sexually assaulted detainees.
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