Aida Shakeri, Nika Shakeri's Sister, Arrested for 'Not Wearing Mandatory Hijab'

Nika Shakeri's mother announced that her elder daughter Aida has been arrested since Wednesday, April 29, for 'not wearing mandatory hijab.' Nasrin Shakeri wrote on Instagram on Thursday, April 30, that 'yesterday my daughter Aida was arrested by the Tehran morality police for not wearing mandatory hijab and has been in custody since.' Aida is the elder sister of Nika Shakeri, a teenage protester who was killed by government forces after participating in nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police in September 2022. Concurrently, reports of increasing violations of individual and social freedoms of citizens and confrontations with women by officers due to voluntary dress and civil disobedience against mandatory hijab are emerging as government forces intensify their presence in the streets of Iran. The hashtag 'War Against Women' has gained traction on social media, with users describing the Islamic Republic's actions to violate women's rights as a 'campaign' against half of Iran's population, which instead of showing 'strength,' indicates the 'weakness' of the Islamic Republic. Additionally, Sahar Naseri, a political activist and human rights advocate, previously told Voice of America that women's struggle in Iran is not only against mandatory hijab but also for equality and non-discrimination.