Fajr Hospital Under 'Siege by Government Forces'; Hengaw: Armita Garavand's Mother Arrested

While Armita Garavand is hospitalized at Fajr Hospital and reports indicate that government forces have been stationed around this hospital, some news sources have reported the arrest of the mother of this teenager who is in a coma. The Hengaw website reported on Thursday, October 5, that Shahin Ahmadi, Armita Garavand's mother, was arrested by agents of the Islamic Republic. On Wednesday, a knowledgeable source told Voice of America that Armita Garavand's friends and family have been threatened not to speak to any media unless permitted by officials. According to this source, there is a 'severely security-oriented' atmosphere in the streets leading to Fajr Hospital, with numerous plainclothes forces stationed there. Despite the Islamic Republic's efforts to prevent information dissemination and provide a controlled government narrative, Armita Garavand's coma due to an encounter with hijab enforcement agents in the Tehran metro has become the most significant news in independent media and social networks, receiving widespread attention. In the latest reactions, Canada's Foreign Minister wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'The Iranian regime continues to present itself as a tyrannical and autocratic government, indifferent to its citizens.' Melanie Joly emphasized: 'What has happened to Armita Garavand should not be the current situation for women in Iran. The human rights of the Iranian people must be respected.' Narges Mohammadi, a human rights defender imprisoned in Evin, emphasized in a message in English published by the admin on her Instagram account that the behavior of the Islamic Republic indicates a 'widespread effort to prevent the truth about Armita Garavand from coming to light.' This Iranian Nobel Peace Prize nominee expressed concern for Armita Garavand's situation, referring to the arrest of a journalist, the vague and non-transparent interview by the state media IRNA with Armita's parents, reports of pressure on the teenager's relatives, and the siege of the hospital where she is being treated by intelligence forces. Narges Mohammadi described the Islamic Republic's behavior in dealing with this incident as 'non-transparent, contradictory, highly security-oriented, and controlled,' adding: 'The government's behavior indicates an effort to prevent the truth about Armita from coming to light.' This political prisoner has called on everyone around the world not to remain silent in the face of human rights violations. Sixteen-year-old Armita Garavand was reportedly pushed by agents while entering the metro without wearing the mandatory hijab on Sunday morning, October 1, and hit her head on metal, causing her to lose consciousness. Masoud Dorosti, the CEO of the metro operating company, claimed that her fainting was 'probably due to low blood pressure' and that no footage of her being pushed by anyone, including metro officials, 'has been recorded.' In a video released by the Islamic Republic's state news agency, IRNA, there is no scene from inside the metro or the moment the teenager fainted, but her entry into the metro while her health condition was normal is recorded. Ahmad Garavand, Armita's father, stated briefly on Wednesday that he has no information about his daughter's condition and has been unaware for several days. In this interview, which was deleted from the website of the Faraz online newspaper shortly after publication, he emphasized: 'I am not aware. As far as I know, she is in a coma. That's all I know.' Mahmoud Amiri Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, told Voice of America that evidence suggests the Islamic Republic is covering up another crime. The incident involving Armita Garavand regarding the hijab coincides with the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, which has elicited widespread reactions from officials and global media. The office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran expressed shock and concern on social media 'X' regarding reports of police attacks on this 16-year-old girl. The office added: 'We are following news of her condition, standing with the brave people of Iran, and working with the world to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its violations.' Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, also wrote on social media 'X': 'A young woman in Iran is once again fighting for her life. Just because she showed her hair in the metro. This is intolerable.' Hannah Neumann, a German representative in the European Parliament, also commented on Armita Garavand's situation, stating, 'Another young woman fell into a coma due to not adhering to the hijab. Another journalist was threatened for reporting on this matter. Another family member was arrested for speaking about it.' Sharif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, stated that this organization is 'following with concern the news of the beating of a teenage girl due to the lack of hijab approved by the government. This news recalls the events of last year and the tragic fate of Mahsa Amini and her death at the hands of government agents.' He further stated: 'We call on the authorities of the Islamic Republic not to restart their evil censorship machine by arresting and harassing journalists covering this important incident.'