A Woman Arrested for Protesting the Beating of a Young Girl by 'Guidance Patrol'

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer, reported that a 48-year-old woman named Minou Hassanabadi was violently arrested for protesting the beating of a young girl by 'Guidance Patrol' agents, and a legal case has been opened against her. A video released shows a verbal altercation between a young girl and several 'Guidance Patrol' agents, during which at least one female officer suddenly attacks the girl, causing her to fall unconscious to the ground. Sotoudeh stated in an interview with Radio Farda that the girl and her companions were the same age as the woman's children, and in a natural reaction as a mother, she warned the officers and asked them to stop the violence against these girls. According to Sotoudeh, in response to this warning, the officers beat the woman and transferred her to a police detention center on Vezara Street. She also mentioned that the woman was held for 'long hours' and a legal case was opened against her in the sixth branch of the 21st district of Tehran. Sotoudeh announced that she has accepted to represent this woman. The lawyer noted that Minou Hassanabadi is Kurdish and that the officers also insulted her 'religion and beliefs,' possibly referring to her being Sunni. The release of the video showing the beating of a young girl by 'Guidance Patrol' agents has sparked widespread protests and criticism from the Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs and some members of parliament. Meanwhile, Tayebeh Siavoshi, a representative from Tehran, reported that the officer involved has been suspended from duty. However, Nasrin Sotoudeh expressed skepticism about the suspension until it is officially announced with documentation, emphasizing that the news of the officer's suspension contradicts the case opened against Minou Hassanabadi. Sotoudeh also mentioned that the officers claimed that the woman was present at the scene of the incident 'premeditatedly,' while she was merely passing by. Previously, the Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, and Kayhan newspaper described the events involving the young girl as 'premeditated' and 'artificial.' Meanwhile, according to the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the parliament, Hossein Ashtari, the commander of the police announced in a commission meeting that he will soon clarify the 'underlying realities.' Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, also supported the actions of the Guidance Patrol, stating that 'the police should not retreat even one step... because otherwise, nothing will hold together, and the path for the police's actions and authority to ensure the country's security will be blocked.' Iranian officials have launched a plan called 'Guidance Patrol' years ago to combat what they call the spread of 'bad hijab and various Western clothing' in Iran, one of whose tasks is to confront what they describe as 'unconventional' attire. However, according to some judicial and police officials, this controversial plan, which has many opponents, has not been very effective. For instance, the Iranian Minister of Interior has acknowledged that the 'intensity and severity' applied to hijab enforcement since the revolution has not yielded the desired results. Meanwhile, Parvaneh Salahshouri, the head of the Women’s Faction in the parliament, called for a documented report on the results of the 13-year performance of the Guidance Patrol. The beating of this girl by the 'Guidance Patrol' occurred about a month after the incident involving Maryam Shariati, one of the protesters against mandatory hijab, who was thrown from an electric pole. After throwing Maryam Shariati from the pole, the police officer used vulgar language towards the citizens present who protested his action. Following that, Hossein Rahimi, the commander of the Tehran police, warned the protesters against mandatory hijab that the police have 'no qualms' in dealing with them. The leader of the Islamic Republic also referred to the protesters against mandatory hijab, known as the girls of Enghelab Street, as 'deceived' and described their movement as 'petty' and a result of 'the extensive propaganda of enemies and their exorbitant costs.'