500 Million Toman Bail Set for 'Girl of Revolution Street'

Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian human rights lawyer and activist, reported the arrest and imprisonment of a young woman known as the 'Girl of Revolution Street.' On Tuesday, January 30, she announced in an interview with Radio Farda that a '500 million toman bail' had been issued for Narges Hosseini following her arrest. According to Sotoudeh, she has taken on the legal representation of this young woman. Under Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code, 'Women who appear in public without proper hijab will be sentenced to imprisonment from 10 days to two months or fined from 50,000 to 500,000 rials.' Earlier in January, a video circulated on social media showing a young woman without a hijab waving her white scarf on a height in Revolution Street, Tehran. This act was immediately interpreted as a protest against compulsory hijab, and she became known as the 'Girl of Revolution Street.' On Sunday, January 21, Sotoudeh announced on her Facebook page that she had followed up on the girl's situation and visited the location where the video was filmed. The human rights lawyer noted that the girl was 'briefly released after her arrest and then re-arrested.' Sotoudeh reported on Sunday, January 28, that she had been released. However, days after reports of the arrest and release of the 'Girl of Revolution Street,' images and reports emerged on social media of other girls publicly protesting against compulsory hijab. On Tuesday, January 29, a photo was shared on social media showing a girl near Revolution Street in Tehran attaching her scarf to a stick and standing on one of the electricity poles. Based on the published photos, a green cloth was also attached to the stick, on which the girl placed her scarf. Earlier, the German news agency reported that six 'Girls of Revolution Street' had been arrested, according to individuals identified as 'eyewitnesses.' Since the 1979 revolution, the use of hijab has been mandatory for women, and a law was subsequently passed regarding this. Meanwhile, some images shared on social media indicate that at least two girls and one boy also protested against compulsory hijab on Tuesday by holding scarves. In this context, Amnesty International called for the immediate release of the 'Girl of Revolution Street.'