Arrest of a Research Student Following 'Nudity'; Amnesty International Calls for Her Immediate Release

Following reports of the arrest of a female student who had undressed in protest against the violent enforcement of mandatory hijab by the security of Azad University, Amnesty International has called for her immediate release. On Saturday evening, November 12, Amnesty International announced on X platform: 'Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the student who was violently arrested for protesting the improper enforcement of mandatory hijab by the security of Azad University.' A video was circulated on social media showing a female student from the Science and Research University of Tehran reportedly sitting naked on campus after being harassed by security officers. Following the release of this video, Amir Kabir Newsletter reported that this female student was beaten and abducted by the security of Azad University for not adhering to the mandatory hijab. Reports indicate that 'the actions of the security officers in tearing the clothes off this student, who was not wearing a hijab, led her to remove all her clothing.' According to some reports, this girl was arrested by the 'IRGC Intelligence' and transferred to an undisclosed location. In its statement, Amnesty International stated: 'The authorities of the Islamic Republic must also protect her from torture and other ill-treatment during detention and ensure her access to family and legal counsel.' The statement adds: 'Allegations of beating and sexual violence against her during detention require independent and impartial investigations, and officials must be held accountable.' Amir Mahjoob, the director of public relations at Azad Islamic University, reacted to the news and images related to this student and her arrest, claiming that she was transferred to a 'police station' and also stated that she was 'under severe psychological pressure and has mental disorders.' The Farhikhtegan newspaper, affiliated with Azad University, also quoted what it called 'official and unofficial sources,' claiming that this student has 'severe psychological and mental disorders' and reported that she is 'currently hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital after being handed over to the police station by university security agents.' This is not the first time that officials and media affiliated with the Islamic Republic have accused opponents and protesters of having 'mental disorders' and forcibly hospitalized them in treatment centers. Iranian security and police forces have intensified their crackdown on women and girls since September 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, which sparked unprecedented protests and subsequent disobedience by Iranian women and girls regarding mandatory hijab. The treatment of women and girls in Iran for not adhering to mandatory hijab comes while Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, made promises during his election campaign and in his first press conference as president. He stated: 'I oppose any form of bullying or violent behavior against any human being, especially women.' In one of the election debates regarding mandatory hijab, he said: 'Behavior does not change with the law; just as they could not forcibly remove the hijab from the heads of Iranian women before, we will not be able to force them to wear it either.' However, Pezeshkian had taken contradictory positions regarding mandatory hijab during his election campaign. On one hand, he criticized the morality police's treatment of women and especially the death of Mahsa Amini in their custody, while on the other hand, he emphasized that women and girls should be 'educated' by men in society and institutions like the clergy, mosques, and state media. He also likened the police's enforcement of mandatory hijab, referred to as the 'Light Plan,' to 'darkness.' After his victory and the introduction of his cabinet, Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, called for support for the new president, stating that when Pezeshkian says 'the Light Plan is a plan of darkness,' he will naturally stand against it. A few weeks later, in his first press conference, when confronted with comments from a reporter from Andisheh Pouya magazine, who criticized the presence of morality police on the streets and stated: 'I took many shortcuts and back alleys to avoid being caught by the morality police,' Pezeshkian laughed and said: 'They are still bothering? Because they were not supposed to bother. We will follow up to ensure they do not bother.'