Tehran, Iran

Iranian authorities announced on Tuesday (Nov. 19) that the Iranian woman who went viral for stripping down to her underwear at a Tehran university in an apparent anti-hijab protest has been freed and will not face charges. 

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The woman, identified as Ahoo Daryaei by BBC Persian, had earlier this month, in a dramatic act of defiance, stripped down to her underwear. The incident was captured on a video that went viral online. 

A protest of note

According to a student movement organisation, Daryaei's on-campus protest unfolded after she reportedly clashed with security agents over not wearing a headscarf. In a moment of defiance, she removed her clothing. Shortly after, she was forcibly detained, with Iranian officials claiming she was "sick" and transferred her to a psychiatric ward.

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Also read | Iranian woman arrested for stripping to underwear subjected to ‘torture, chemical substance’

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir confirmed her release, stating, "Considering that she was sent to the hospital, and it was found that she was ill, she was handed over to her family... and no judicial case has been filed against her."

This move, presented as an act of compassion, has been labelled by activists as a strategy to delegitimise dissent by framing protesters as mentally ill.

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Daryaei’s case is the latest example of what critics call the Iranian regime’s tactic of using mental health claims to undermine women’s rights activism. "This is how the Islamic Republic tries to discredit women, by questioning their mental health," said Azam Jangravi, an activist who fled Iran after her own anti-hijab protest in 2018. 

Jangravi said her family has been facing pressure from Iranian authorities to declare her mentally ill: "My family didn’t do it, but many families under pressure do, thinking it’s the best way to protect their loved ones."

Also read | Iran plans to open treatment clinic for women who defy hijab laws

Iran to open a 'treatment clinic' for women who defy hijab laws?

If reports are to be believed, the Iranian government has plans to open a treatment clinic for women who defy the country's mandatory hijab laws. Such a type of centre has been named "hijab removal treatment clinic."

According to a report by The Guardian on Thursday (Nov. 14), the opening of this clinic was announced by Mehri Talebi Darestani, the head of the Women and Family Department of the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Darestani said that the clinic would offer scientific and psychological treatment for hijab removal. She said that the clinic would be focused on promoting "dignity, modesty, chastity, and hijab," and pointed out that attendance would be optional.

(With inputs from agencies)