Judiciary Spokesman: The Reason for Shooting Arzu Badri Was Not Hijab, It Was Fleeing the Scene

A few weeks after police officers shot a young woman in Mazandaran province, reportedly over mandatory hijab enforcement, the Judiciary spokesman denied that the shooting was related to hijab. Asghar Jahangir, the spokesman, stated in a press conference on Tuesday, August 30, that 'the report from the police indicates that the issue is not about hijab, but rather about ignoring police warnings and fleeing the scene.' He also announced the immediate arrest of the shooter, emphasizing that he is in 'temporary custody.' These statements come after the Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, claimed in a video labeled 'forced confession' that Arzu Badri's physical condition was stable, just days after reports of her severe condition. In the video, the circumstances of which are unclear, Ms. Badri smiles, and her father reports her 'satisfactory' health condition while thanking law enforcement officials. Reports indicate that Arzu Badri was one of the two occupants of a vehicle that was on the list of confiscated cars due to mandatory hijab and was shot at by police officers about three weeks ago in Noor County. The Fars news agency, also close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported on Thursday, August 25, that after the driver of the car ignored a stop order, 'during the chase, the police shot three bullets at the tires of the vehicle.' This claim contradicts earlier reports from sources like BBC Persian, which stated that officers shot at the occupants of the vehicle at least once 'from the driver's side.' The timing of the shooting was previously reported as 11 PM on 'July 23,' but the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated news agency reported it as the evening of 'July 24.' According to reports, 31-year-old Arzu Badri, a mother of two, was initially taken to medical centers in Noor and Sari after being shot in the back and is currently hospitalized under security conditions at 'Valiasr Hospital' in Tehran. Earlier reports indicated that doctors eventually managed to remove the bullet from her back after about ten days, but her lung and spinal cord suffered 'serious damage.' Meanwhile, Hengaw and other sources have reported that Arzu Badri's family is under pressure from security agencies to repeat the government narrative in front of the camera. The news of the shooting of this young woman over mandatory hijab has significantly shaken the media and virtual space in Iran, raising concerns about the possibility of a fate similar to Mahsa (Zhina) Amini for Arzu.