Iran Human Rights Organization on Armita Garavand: The Islamic Republic Has a Long History of Concealing Crimes

A human rights organization has called for an independent international investigation into the case of Armita Garavand, referencing the 'government murder' of Mahsa Amini and stating that otherwise, 'the cover-up of another crime and the evasion of its perpetrators will be repeated.' The Iran Human Rights Organization announced on Wednesday, October 4, in a statement that it demands an independent international investigation regarding the events that led to 'the injury of Armita Garavand due to the violent confrontation with mandatory hijab enforcement agents' in the Tehran metro. The organization also added: 'Since the Islamic Republic has a long history of denying events and concealing the crimes of its agents,' the initiation of this investigation is 'essential for examining the details of this incident.' The statement noted that this teenage girl 'according to citizen reports, suffered a brain injury following the violent confrontation with mandatory hijab enforcement agents in the Tehran metro' and is currently in a coma at Fajr Hospital of the Air Force in Tehran. It further stated: 'Repressive agents detained a reporter from Shargh newspaper who had gone to the hospital to report on this matter to prevent news coverage regarding her condition.' The Iran Human Rights Organization also emphasized that 'currently, news coverage is only being conducted through the security media of the Islamic Republic, and Armita's parents were forced to give a coerced interview about their daughter's condition in front of the television camera.' Armita Garavand's mother and father spoke briefly about their daughter's unconsciousness in front of the Islamic Republic News Agency camera on Tuesday, October 3. In a video, Armita's mother said, 'I think they said her pressure dropped or something... she fell and hit her head on the edge of the metro,' and her father emphasized that Armita's friends were with her and said, 'We checked the cameras; I don't know if the girls were standing one in front of her and one behind her.' This independent human rights organization added: 'The international community must support such investigations and put more pressure on the Islamic Republic to accept a UN fact-finding mission.' Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, recalling the 'murder of Zhina Mahsa Amini' and the passing of a year since the 'beginning of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement,' stated that 'the Islamic Republic continues to suppress and harass women under the pretext of combating improper hijab' and 'the international community should not tolerate the gender apartheid system of the Islamic Republic.' Amiri-Moghaddam called for the international community and governments committed to international human rights laws to 'seriously pursue the cause of Armita Garavand's coma' and added: 'Islamic Republic officials must provide all documents and evidence related to Armita Garavand to the UN fact-finding committee.' Unofficial reports on Tuesday indicated that a teenage girl, along with her friends, entered line four of the metro at the 'Shahda Square' station on Sunday, October 1, while not wearing a mandatory hijab, and following 'being pushed by agents, her head hit a metal part' and she lost consciousness. On the same day, a reporter from Shargh newspaper who had gone to the hospital to report on Armita Garavand was detained and released after a few hours. Masoud Dorosti, the managing director of the metro operating company, claimed that the 16-year-old girl's loss of consciousness was 'probably due to a drop in pressure' and stated that no image of her being pushed by anyone, including metro operational agents, 'has been recorded.' In a video published by the Islamic Republic News Agency, there is no scene from inside the metro or the moment the teenage girl lost consciousness, but the moment she entered the metro while her health condition was normal is recorded. The Iran Human Rights Organization emphasized that 'the halls and wagons of the metro are equipped with surveillance cameras' and 'the refusal to release footage from inside the wagon and the moments of Armita Garavand's entry into the station adds to the suspicions.' In this statement, referencing 'two different narratives circulating on social media from witnesses of the incident,' it added: 'Armita Garavand was beaten by agents for not complying with the mandatory hijab before entering the metro wagon or inside the wagon.' The statement also noted that the incident of 'Armita Garavand going into a coma' occurred one year after the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the morality police, reminding that the UN Human Rights Council established a fact-finding committee on December 24, 2022, to 'investigate human rights violations and violence by Iranian security forces against participants in protests,' and now, the Iran Human Rights Organization 'calls on the international community to pressure the Islamic Republic to allow a fact-finding mission to enter Iran and independently investigate the incident leading to Armita's coma; otherwise, the cover-up of another crime and the evasion of its perpetrators will be repeated.' Additionally, in earlier hours, Prince Reza Pahlavi stated that 'the Iranian people are still mourning and seeking justice for the murder of Mahsa Amini,' writing on various social platforms: 'The news of Armita Garavand going into a coma at the hands of the hijab enforcers of the Islamic Republic is another confirmation that despite this anti-Iranian regime, the lives of Iran's children are in danger every day and every moment.' He emphasized that 'the Islamic Republic is once again engaged in spreading lies and concealment, just like in Mahsa's murder,' stating that 'Armita, like Mahsa, is a daughter of Iran' and urged the people to 'support her family in this difficult situation.' Prince Reza Pahlavi also added: 'A year ago, brave journalists prevented the Islamic Republic from covering up that crime by pursuing and reporting, and courageous people gathered in front of Kowsar Hospital. Now, we must not allow this regime to cover up violence and crime.' Previously, the U.S. special envoy for Iran stated that 'the mandatory hijab law in Iran is a step backward for women's rights, human rights, and religious freedom' and 'this law reflects the Iranian government's determination to suppress freedom and women's rights.' Abram Pili also added: 'We continue to stand with the people of Iran as they peacefully seek democracy and their basic human dignity.' He also called on the Islamic Republic officials to repeal this 'oppressive' law and respect the rights of Iranian women.