An alleged assault by Iran's morality police on a teenage girl for her failure to wear a headscarf has left her "brain dead," state-affiliated media reported. The incident has intensified discussions surrounding Iran's strict hijab regulations.
16-year-old Armita Geravand was hospitalized after reportedly suffering head injuries from the incident, which occurred at a Tehran metro station earlier this month. This comes hot on the heels of Iran's recent enactment of strict legislation imposing harsher punishments on women found in violation of the country's hijab regulations.
Videos circulating online show Geravand being escorted away after the reported incident. The state-linked Tasnim news agency stated, "Despite the medical staff's endeavors, the latest health status of Armita Geravand suggests a high likelihood of her being brain dead."
The Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights had earlier reported that Geravand was "assaulted" by the morality police, resulting in her falling into a coma. Another opposition outlet, IranWire, highlighted that she was admitted to the hospital primarily for "head trauma."
Awyer Shekhi, a member of Hengaw, informed CNN that an altercation erupted after female officers of the morality police confronted Geravand near the Shohada metro station over her hijab. The confrontation escalated, culminating in Geravand being physically attacked and eventually collapsing.
Video Footage Surfaces Sparking Public Outrage
While these allegations are making waves, Iranian officials have pushed back, attributing Geravand's hospitalization to a medical issue related to low blood pressure. Complicating the narrative, some of Geravand's friends and relatives have reiterated this state-backed account in interviews with state media. This has raised questions, especially given prior accusations made by UN officials and rights organizations about the Iranian authorities coercing families of deceased protestors into supporting the government's version of events.
Adding to the complexity surrounding the hijab regulations, Iran's parliament approved a "hijab bill" in September. This bill, if violated, can lead to a prison sentence of up to a decade. The legislation was ratified close to the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian, died in custody after she was apprehended by the notorious morality police, presumably for not complying with Iran's conservative dress code.
Legacy of Mahsa Amini: The Catalyst for the Hijab Bill
In a related development, on Sunday, Iranian authorities incarcerated two journalists who first reported on Amini's demise. Niloofar Hamedi of the Shargh newspaper received a 13-year sentence on charges such as "cooperating with the hostile US government," as reported by the state-run Mizan News.
Meanwhile, Elaheh Mohammadi, from the Ham-Mihan newspaper, was handed a 12-year sentence on comparable charges.
Iranian intelligence accused Hamedi of using her position as a journalist to stir up unrest last year. Mohammad Hossein Ajorloo, Hamedi's spouse, lamented that the judgment was declared on her birthday, emphasizing the duo's "honest and honorable efforts." He expressed hope for an overturn of these verdicts, voicing this sentiment on X, previously known as Twitter.
Condemning the verdicts, Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, remarked that these convictions are "a travesty" and symbolize the "desperate attempts of the Iranian government to criminalize journalism."
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