High School Girl Faints in Metro | Users: Officials Pushed Her; Government Arrested a Journalist

Following the fainting of a teenage girl in the Tehran metro, allegedly due to being 'pushed' by an official, and a claim by an official of the Islamic Republic stating it was due to 'low blood pressure', a journalist from Shargh newspaper who went to the hospital to report on her condition was arrested. Unofficial reports indicate that a teenage girl, along with her friends, entered Line 4 of the metro at 'Shahada Square' station on Sunday, October 1, without wearing a mandatory hijab, and after being 'pushed by officials, her head hit a metal object' causing her to faint. According to unofficial accounts of the incident, officials 'do not allow anyone to approach her in the hospital.' After receiving emergency care and stabilizing her condition, the girl was transferred to Fajr Hospital of the Air Force. This incident occurred after the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, which led to months of nationwide protests in Iran. Additionally, according to the government news agency IRNA, Masoud Dorosti, the CEO of the metro operating company, claimed that the fainting of this 16-year-old girl was 'probably due to low blood pressure' and stated that no images of her being pushed by metro officials 'have been recorded.' A video released by the Islamic Republic News Agency does not show the moment the girl fainted inside the metro, but captures her entering the metro while her health appears normal. According to this report, the girl was taken out of the metro by her friends after fainting and was transferred to the hospital after 'stabilizing her condition' by the 'emergency team.' The claim of the girl's fainting in the metro due to 'low blood pressure' comes as Shargh newspaper reported that Maryam Lotfi, a journalist for the Tehran-based newspaper, was arrested on Tuesday, October 2, while attempting to gather news at Fajr Hospital regarding the condition of the girl who fainted in the metro. The fainting of this teenage girl in the metro and the arrest of the Shargh journalist has sparked reactions from users on social media. Hediyeh Kimiai, a social journalist, noted the arrest of the Shargh journalist in a post on 'X', stating that the hospitalized high school girl 'fainted due to being pushed by officials in the metro for not wearing a mandatory hijab, hitting her head on metal,' and 'no one knows about her condition.' Amid increasing pressures on women to adhere to the mandatory hijab, previous reports indicated the hiring of '400 protection unit forces' as 'hijab enforcers' with a monthly salary of '12 million tomans' by the Tehran municipality in the metro. This action was deemed 'insufficient' by Mehdi Chamran, the head of the Tehran City Council, who stated that police should also be present. Furthermore, the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran stated on October 1 that 'the punitive law of mandatory hijab in Iran is a step backward for women's rights, human rights, and religious freedom. This law reflects the Iranian government's determination to suppress freedom and women's rights.' Abram Peely also added, 'We continue to stand with the people of Iran as they peacefully seek democracy and their basic human dignity.' He also urged the Iranian authorities to repeal this 'oppressive law' and respect the rights of Iranian women. Women and girls opposing the mandatory hijab have been using optional attire for months, while the Islamic Republic attempts to impose its desired mandatory hijab through various pressures. However, images and videos shared on social media indicate the ongoing resistance of opponents to the mandatory hijab.