Iran Under Pressure To Release Woman Who Stripped Down to Underwear

On the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, Iranian people gathered in Milan to protest against the mandatory hijab, on Sept. 16, 2023. Davood Maeili/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Amnesty International has called on Iran to release a young woman who stripped to her underwear in what was perceived on social media as an extreme protest against the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

A video that circulated on social media at the weekend showed security guards at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran detaining the woman.

Amnesty International posted on X on Saturday, saying Iran, “must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested.”

“Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment, and ensure access to family and lawyer. Allegations of beatings and sexual violence against her during arrest need independent and impartial investigations. Those responsible must held to account,” it added.

But on Tuesday, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said, “Instead of viewing this issue under a security lens, we are rather looking at it with a social lens and seek to solve the problems of this student as a troubled individual.”

She said the student had been transferred from a police station to a treatment center.

Mohajerani added, “It is yet too soon to speak of this student’s return to university. According to a video published by her husband, she needs treatment and that needs to be completed before taking the next steps.”

University spokesperson Amir Mahjob posted on X on Saturday, “What happened today in the university was the result of the unbalanced and unethical behavior of a person who disrespected the human dignity of the student body and the sacred position of the university. Be alert!”

But Mahjob also said: “In the police station and with the examination of the medical teams, it was found that she was under severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder. It should be mentioned that in addition to separating from her husband, she was also the mother of two children.”

“Hope that the reputation of her family and the future of her children will not be harmed by online rumors,” Mahjob added.

But several Iranian women’s rights activists claimed the incident was a deliberate protest against Iran’s Islamic dress code.

In Sept. 2022 Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died in police custody after being detained for not wearing a hijab “properly.” Her death triggered huge street demonstrations in Iran and 500 protesters were killed by the police.

An unknown number of women have defied Iran’s morality police in the last two years by refusing to wear hijabs.

Daughters of Persia, a women’s rights group posted the video of the latest incident on its Telegram channel and identified the woman on X as Ahoo Daryaei, a “courageous student at Tehran’s Science and Research University.”

It said she, “removed her clothes on campus in a fearless act of defiance after enduring harassment and assault by security forces enforcing mandatory hijab.”

Daughters of Persia added, “Her bravery speaks for countless women who refuse to sit silently as their dignity and rights are trampled by a repressive system.”

“We are gravely concerned for her safety. Her fate remains unknown, and fears are rising,” the group added.

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American women’s rights activist and president of the World Liberty Congress, wrote on her X account, “The name of this iconic woman has unfortunately not yet been verified.”

‘Troubling Sign’

“The name Ahoo Daryaei is circulating and may be accurate, but it’s equally important to note that no independent media or Iranian human rights organization has been able to confirm this name independently. This is always a troubling sign,” she added.

At the weekend, the mass-circulation daily Hamshahri said on its website, “An informed source said ... the perpetrator of this act has severe mental problems and, after investigations, she will most likely be transferred to a mental hospital.”

But Azam Jangravi, an Iranian women’s rights activist now living in Canada, wrote on X, “When I protested against mandatory hijab, after the security forces arrested me, my family was pressured to declare me mentally ill, the Islamic republic of Iran even taking me to a forensic doctor.”

“My family didn’t do it, but many families under pressure do, thinking it’s the best way to protect their loved ones. This is how the Islamic Republic tries to discredit women by questioning their mental health,” added Jangravi.

The Iranian news agency Tasnim said, on Monday, that those reacting on social media were, “the same anti-Iran movement which jumped on the Mahsa Amini affair in 2022.”

Reuters contributed to this report.