Senior US Official Responds to Report of 'Brutal Attack' by Hijab Officer on Armita Garavand: We Are Horrified

A senior official at the US State Department for Human Rights, Ezra Zaya, stated that the United States is 'horrified' by reports of the 'brutal attack by Iran's moral security police on 16-year-old Armita Garavand for riding the metro without a hijab.' Zaya said the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran 'must allow its youth to shape the future of the country, rather than attacking them.' He reiterated the US commitment to hold the Islamic Republic accountable 'for human rights violations' and once again urged the regime to 'cease violence.' Armita Garavand, born in February 2007, is a 16-year-old student at the state vocational school 'Oruvat al-Wuthqa' in District 11 of Tehran. On October 1, while returning from school, she fell to the ground shortly after entering a metro train at the 'Tehran Martyrs' station. She was then transferred to Fajr Hospital, affiliated with the Army University of Medical Sciences, where she is currently hospitalized and in a coma. This is not the first time reports have emerged of hijab officers in Iran engaging with citizens, especially women. Last year, reports indicated that Mahsa Amini fell into a coma and died after violence from the 'morality police' over her hijab. Her death sparked widespread street protests in Iran. The Guardian newspaper published statements from two eyewitnesses on Thursday who spoke about the encounter between the 'hijab officer' and Armita Garavand in the metro. According to this report, one witness said that shortly after Armita entered the metro carriage, a hijab officer wearing a chador 'shouted at her, asking why she was not covering her hair.' The witness stated that Armita replied, 'Am I asking you to take off your hijab? Why are you asking me to put one on?' This witness told the Guardian that their discussion escalated into violence, and the hijab officer began to physically attack Armita, pushing her violently. While the Islamic Republic and its media deny the physical confrontation with Armita Garavand over her hijab, reports indicate that the hospital where she is being treated is under the control of authorities, and officials have not allowed other journalists access to report except for those from state media. Reports indicate that Maryam Lotfi, a journalist from Shargh, was detained for attempting to report on Armita Garavand's condition at Fajr Hospital and was later released 'on bail.' Two eyewitnesses for the Guardian revealed details of the 'physical attack' by the hijab officer on Armita Garavand, highlighting the government's efforts to control the flow of information regarding her case by blocking access to independent media and her family.