'Hit her head on iron pole,' Activists reveal barbarism of Iranian hijab police against 16-year-old victim

Tehran, Iran

An Iranian teen is in critical condition and is admitted to hospital after allegedly being attacked by agents of the government for violating the stringent hijab law.

The 16-year-old victim has been identified as Armita Geravand, who was allegedly harassed and attacked in the Tehran metro on Sunday (Oct 1), Reuters reported Wednesday citing two prominent rights activists.

The incident comes hot on the heels of the first anniversary of the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died on Sep 16, 2022 in the custody of Iran’s morality police. The murder had sparked months of nationwide protests in the West Asian country.

Shocking revelations by Human rights group Hengaw

Rights group Hengaw said the teen was subjected to "a severe physical assault" by morality police officers.

She reportedly fell into a coma and is being treated at Tehran's Fajr hospital under tight security.

Authorities briefly detained a journalist who reached the hospital to cover the incident and confiscated the mobile phones of family members of Geravand.

"[She] was physically attacked by authorities at Shohada station... for what they perceived as non-compliance with the compulsory 'hijab'," a statement by Hengaw said. "As a result, she sustained severe injuries and was transported to the hospital," it added.

What happened on the train? 

As per political activists cited by Reuters, the girl was pushed by hijab enforcers who ended up “hitting her head on an iron pole.”

"We are following her case closely. She is in coma at Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and her condition is critical ... her relatives said there is a heavy presence of plain clothes at the hospital," one of the activists in Iran said.

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Hengaw also released a photo of the victim, showing her lying in unconscious in the hospital.

Statement by Armita Geravand’s parents

Armita Geravand’s parents acknowledged that whatever happened on Sunday was an “accident”, in an interview with the state-backed Irna news agency. 

The interview took place "in the presence of high-ranking security officers under considerable pressure at Fajr Hospital," the rights group alleged.

"I think my daughter's blood pressure dropped, I am not too sure, I think they have said her pressure dropped," her mother states in a heavily edited video posted by Irna.

Also read: Iran hijab row again: 16-year-old slips into coma after alleged assault by morality police

The managing director of the Tehran metro also claimed that no verbal or physical conflict happened on the train on Sunday between Armita and metro executives.

"Some rumours about a confrontation with metro agents... are not true and CCTV footage refutes this claim," the official told Irna.

(With inputs from agencies)