Concerns of Amnesty International Regarding the Status of Women Detained for Protesting Mandatory Hijab

On Monday, March 7, Amnesty International expressed concern over the situation of women detained for protesting mandatory hijab in Iran. The statement noted that, given the Iranian police's warning of imprisonment for protesters against the mandatory hijab for one to ten years, dozens of detained women are now facing unjust trials, indicating an escalation in the repression of women's rights activists. Amnesty International referred to a statement from the police that announced: 'The law provides for up to two months in prison for being without a hijab in public places.' The police statement clarified that 'encouraging people to be without hijab falls under the second paragraph of Article 639 of the Islamic Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of one to ten years and cannot be converted to an alternative punishment.' Amnesty International stated that since December, more than 35 women have been violently detained in Tehran for peacefully protesting against the mandatory hijab. The statement also mentioned the trial of Narges Hosseini on charges of 'encouraging corruption and prostitution.' Narges Hosseini was the second 'Girl of Revolution Street' who climbed an electrical box and waved her hijab in protest against the 'mandatory hijab.' She was tried on March 5. Meanwhile, Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Director of Amnesty International for the Middle East and North Africa, referred to the police statement, calling it a regressive move as part of current Iranian officials' actions to suppress women who courageously speak out against the mandatory hijab. This Amnesty official added that this action not only exposes many women to unjust trials but also sends a message to other women to remain silent in the face of violations of their rights. Last week, a video showing the violent confrontation of police with one of the protesters, who was thrown from an electrical post, sparked widespread reactions. Reports indicate that Maryam Shariati, a protester against the mandatory hijab, was severely injured and underwent surgery after being thrown from the electrical post by the police. In this context, journalist Zhila Baniyaghoub also reported on Twitter about the deteriorating condition of Maryam Shariati in the general ward of Qarchak Varamin prison. According to Baniyaghoub, Maryam Shariati, who was thrown from the electrical post by the police, was severely injured in her leg, 'had surgery,' and 'needs immediate medical care,' but officials are reportedly ignoring this issue. Recently, some social media users reported a violent encounter between a plainclothes officer and a protester named Hamraz Sadeghi, which resulted in her arm being broken and her arrest. Eyewitnesses reported that she was standing on a telecommunications box with her hijab in hand at the intersection of Somayeh and Sepahbod Ghorani streets in Tehran on March 5. Protests against the mandatory hijab, which began with women removing their hijabs and became known as the 'Girls of Revolution Street,' started a few days before the protests in December. So far, dozens of women in Tehran and other cities in Iran have shown their protest against the mandatory hijab by removing their hijabs in public spaces. Several women protesters have been arrested on the streets, and reports indicate that some of them were injured prior to their arrest due to violent confrontations with the police. In this context, two more protesters against the mandatory hijab were arrested, and the police threatened long-term imprisonment for those protesting against the mandatory hijab. Seventy female documentarians have called for an end to violent behavior against the 'Girls of Revolution Street.'