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

A 16-year-old Iranian girl named Armita Garawand has fallen into a coma and is receiving medical treatment in a heavily secured hospital following an altercation in the Tehran metroon Sunday (Oct 1).This incident has stirred outrage and allegations against the notorious morality police in the Islamic Republic.

The Kurdish-focused rights group, Hengaw, has accused female police officers of causing severe injuries to Armita Garawand during an encounter on the Tehran metro.

However, Iranian authorities have denied these allegations, saying that the girl fainted due to low blood pressure and that there was no involvement of security forces.

Tensions andmemory of Mahsa Amini

This incident occurred amidst heightened social tensions in Iran, just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating strict dress rules for women.

Amini's death triggered months of protests that challenged Iran's clerical leadership but were eventually suppressed through a crackdown that resulted in numerous arrests and fatalities.

Hengaw (a Norway-based Kurdish human rights NGO) claims that Garawand sustained severe injuries after being apprehended and physically assaulted by agents of the so-called morality police at the Shohada metro station in Tehran.

She is currently receiving treatment under strict security measures at Tehran's Fajr Hospital, with no visitation rights, even from her family.

The organisation has released an image purportedly of Garawand in her hospital bed, showing extensive bandages around her head and neck, with a feeding tube attached.

Garawand's parents gavean interview to Iranian state media at the hospital but did so under the watchful eye of high-ranking security officers and substantial pressure, according to Hengaw, reported AFP.

Maryam Lotfi, a journalist from the Shargh Daily newspaper, attempted to visit the hospital after the incident but was promptly detained, though she was eventually released.

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Masood Dorosti, managing director of the Tehran subway system, refuted allegations of any verbal or physical conflict between the student and passengers or metro executives. He stated that rumours about a confrontation with metro agents were false, citing CCTV footage.

One year after Amini's death, Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to enforce strict dress rules for women, including the mandatory hijab. The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has reported increased violence, arbitrary arrests, and heightened discrimination against women and girls as a result of the reactivation of forced-veiling police patrols.

(With inputs from agencies)

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