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Amnesty International is calling for the immediate release of a university student reportedly detained in Tehran after allegedly protesting Iran’s mandatory hijab laws by stripping to her underwear.
The human rights organization posted on social media, saying the woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, was “violently arrested” at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University. Amnesty alleges she was protesting “abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials” at the university.
Though Sky News could not independently verify the incident, video circulating online shows a woman dressed only in her underwear outside the campus. Iranian authorities have claimed the woman was “under severe stress and suffering from mental disorders” and was taken to a medical facility for treatment.
Activist Masih Alinejad, however, shared a different account on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting the woman was harassed by the university’s morality police for an “improper” hijab. Alinejad said the student “turned her body into a protest,” stripping down and walking through campus to “defy a regime that constantly controls women’s bodies.”
Amnesty International issued a statement demanding the student’s “immediate and unconditional” release.
Iran’s government-affiliated news agency ISNA reported that the woman’s actions stemmed from a brief dispute with university security over her use of a mobile phone, not over the hijab. ISNA’s statement also claimed the student was not confronted over her attire.
The incident follows widespread protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after allegedly violating hijab regulations. Despite international scrutiny and internal backlash, Iran continues to enforce strict dress codes for women.
Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on Iran, said she is “monitoring this incident closely” and watching for any further responses from Iranian authorities.
[Information sourced from Sky News]
