Teachers' Unions: Armita Garavand's Family Threatened to Silence During Mourning Ceremony

The Coordination Council of Teachers' Unions of Iran, in a revealing statement, condemned the 'murder' of Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old student, for not wearing the mandatory hijab, and criticized the security crackdown and media censorship surrounding this incident by the Islamic Republic. The statement mentions that members of Armita Garavand's family were threatened to remain silent during their mourning ceremony. Additionally, teachers and classmates of Armita have also been warned that they would face disciplinary action for any information dissemination. The teachers' unions also criticized the prohibition of independent civil organizations from entering the hospital to investigate Armita's case. The statement reads: 'What were you afraid of that for 28 days following the incident and even until the moment of burial, you continuously controlled and threatened the family of this innocent student?' 'Why were independent and impartial civil organizations from the medical community not allowed to provide accurate information to the public regarding the incident involving Armita?' The statement also noted that the demand for optional hijab is one of the most important demands of the Iranian people, and the Islamic Republic's suppression of this demand only fuels public anger and dissatisfaction. According to reports, Armita Garavand, a 16-year-old girl, was attacked by a 'morality police' officer on the morning of October 1, 2023, at the Shahid Square metro station in Tehran for not wearing the mandatory hijab. She was pushed, causing her head to hit the edge of the train's exit door, and after losing consciousness, she fell into a coma. She passed away after 29 days in the hospital. Security agencies in the Islamic Republic limited any information dissemination from the early moments of this incident by creating a security atmosphere, and ultimately, the news of Armita's death was announced with identical wording by security and state media. The reactions to Armita Garavand's death continue; protesters chanted against the government. Ejei emphasized the crackdown on opponents of the mandatory hijab just one day after Armita Garavand's burial. Nighttime slogans in protest of Armita Garavand's death included 'Death to the child-killing government.' The Iranian Teachers' Union stated that Armita suffered the same fate as Mahsa and was 'cut down.'