Iran’s judiciary has refuted a report by rights group Hengaw, dismissing claims that security forces arrested the mother of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, who is currently in a coma following an alleged confrontation over the country’s conservative dress code. The incident has stirred controversy, drawing attention to the enforcement of the hijab law and raising questions about the treatment of individuals who violate it.
According to Iranian authorities, the judiciary denied reports of Shahin Ahmadi’s arrest, the mother of Armita Geravand, who was hospitalised after the confrontation. Rights group Hengaw had asserted that security forces detained Ahmadi near the hospital.
Iranian state news agency IRNA conveyed the judiciary’s denial on the X social media platform, attributing the reports to unidentified enemies spreading rumours for their own gain.
The incident involving Geravand comes in the wake of a new hijab law in Iran, imposing penalties on women who do not comply with the dress code in public. UN-appointed rights officials expressed concern about the law last month.
Reports from two rights activists suggested that Geravand fell into a coma after a confrontation in the Tehran metro for violating the hijab law. The Tehran Metro Operating Company, however, stated that CCTV footage showed no signs of conflict during the incident.
The case echoes the events of last year when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police triggered nationwide protests. Amini’s case led to a violent crackdown by authorities.
Amidst growing public anger on social media, calls for the release of full video footage, including from inside the metro car, have intensified. Human rights lawyer Gissou Nia, Chair of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, expressed concern about Geravand’s condition, linking it to the controversial hijab law.
CCTV footage shared by IRNA showed Geravand without a hijab accompanied by two female friends in the Tehran metro. The video captured a moment where one girl fell unconscious and was dragged from the train by passengers.
The parents of Geravand appeared in a video posted on IRNA, claiming their daughter suffered a drop in blood pressure and hit her head on the metro train. Rights groups, however, contested the statement, alleging it was made under duress.