Nasrin Sotoudeh: The Girl of Revolution Street Has Been Arrested Again

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist in Tehran, announced that the girl who, in December, took off and waved her hijab on Revolution Street and became known on social media as the 'Girl of Revolution Street,' has been arrested again after her release. In December, a video of a young girl on Revolution Street was published, where she attached her hijab to a stick and waved it like a flag while standing on a power pole. This act was interpreted on social media as a protest against mandatory hijab, and the video and photos of it received widespread attention. In this context, Nasrin Sotoudeh announced on her Facebook page on Sunday, January 21, that she had followed up on the status of this girl and had gone to the location where the girl performed this act. This lawyer and human rights activist noted in her local investigation that this girl was 'released shortly after her arrest and then arrested again' on that day. Ms. Sotoudeh stated that she still does not know the girl's name, adding that 'she has a 19-month-old child and is 31 years old.' According to this lawyer, after her arrest, this girl was transferred to Police Station 148 on Revolution Street, and a case was filed against her in the prosecutor's office known as Khark Street. Ms. Sotoudeh emphasized that the responsibility for the safety and rights of this girl lies with the judicial authorities and her captors. So far, the authorities of the Islamic Republic have not reacted to reports about the arrest of this girl. After the February 1979 revolution, the use of hijab became mandatory for women, and a law regarding this was passed after some time. According to Islamic Penal Code, 'Women who appear in public without proper hijab will be sentenced to imprisonment from 10 days to two months or fined from 50,000 to 500,000 rials.' In this regard, the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have launched a plan called 'Guidance Patrol' for years to combat what they call the spread of 'bad hijab and various Western styles' in Iran, one of whose duties is to confront what they consider 'unconventional' attire. However, according to some judicial and police officials, this controversial plan, which has many opponents, has not been very effective. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, is among the judicial officials who stated in September 2016 that it is not possible to assign 'officers' for all families and individuals in the country, and that 'restrictive' actions regarding hijab in Iran have been ineffective. In August of the same year, Hossein Sajedi-Nia, the then commander of the Greater Tehran Police, stated that 'the current situation of hijab and chastity is not befitting an Islamic society, and by monitoring the hijab situation over the past 15 years, we conclude that the situation has gradually worsened.' Meanwhile, Hossein Rahimi, the head of Greater Tehran Police, said last month: 'Those who do not observe Islamic decorum and have been negligent in this area will no longer go to detention centers, and cases will not be filed against them... rather, educational sessions will be held to correct their behavior.' According to Mr. Rahimi, '121 educational sessions in this area have been held this year, and more than 7,900 people have been trained in these classes.'