Human rights activists are urging Iranian authorities to release a woman who was detained after staging a protest against compulsory hijab laws by removing her clothing at a university.
A video shared on social media shows her in her underwear sitting on steps and later walking calmly along a pavement at the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
In a follow-up video, she appears to remove her underwear before being forcibly detained by plainclothes agents who push her into a vehicle.
The university later claimed that the woman was suffering from a “mental disorder” and had been taken to a “psychiatric hospital,” a statement many Iranians disputed, viewing her actions as part of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which has seen numerous women publicly defy hijab laws.
The protests were ignited two years ago following the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died in police custody for allegedly not wearing her hijab correctly, with reports estimating over 500 people killed during the subsequent demonstrations.
The Amirkabir Newsletter, an outlet affiliated with the Iranian student movement, reported that the woman’s undressing occurred after an altercation with security agents regarding her headscarf.
Witnesses claimed that during the detainment, her head struck the car door, causing bleeding, and she was then taken to an undisclosed location.
Witnesses also recounted that the woman entered a classroom at the university and began filming students.
When confronted by the lecturer, she exited while shouting, “I’ve come to save you.”
Iranian media released a video featuring a man, whose face was blurred, claiming to be the woman’s ex-husband, asking the public not to share the video for the sake of their two children; however, BBC Persian has not been able to verify his statements.
Azam Jangravi, a Canada-based women’s rights activist who fled Iran after being sentenced to three years in prison for a similar protest, commented, “When I protested against mandatory hijab… my family was pressured to declare me mentally ill.”
She noted that while her family resisted this pressure, many others comply to protect their loved ones, emphasizing, “This is how the Islamic Republic tries to discredit women, by questioning their mental health.”
Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained university student, stating, “Authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure access to family and legal representation.”
The organization also demanded independent investigations into allegations of abuse during her arrest.
UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, shared the footage on X (formerly Twitter) and affirmed she would be “monitoring this incident closely, including the authorities’ response.”
Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate currently imprisoned in Iran, expressed her grave concerns over the incident, stating, “Women pay the price for defiance, but we do not bow down to force.”
She praised the student’s act of protest, saying, “The student who protested at the university turned her body – long weaponized as a tool of repression – into a symbol of dissent. I call for her freedom and an end to the harassment of women.”
Source-BBC
