Iran teenager dies after alleged encounter with morality police News
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Iran teenager dies after alleged encounter with morality police

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s state media, reported on Saturday that teenager Armita Geravand died after weeks of being in a comatose state attributed to severe brain injuries. Geravand sustained these injuries during an alleged encounter with morality police officers at the Tehran Metro station on October 1, where she was found not wearing a hijab, in contravention of Iran’s longstanding mandatory hijab law.

Following her hospitalization, Armita’s condition deteriorated and she was officially declared “brain dead” earlier this week. Her death coincides with recent legislation in Iran, which has substantially increased penalties for violations of the already stringent hijab regulations for women.  Moreover, this incident is reminiscent of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly not adhering to the mandatory hijab rules. Amini’s death in police custody sparked widespread protests across Iran that lasted for months and turned deadly.

Foreign-based human rights organizations and activists have asserted that Geravand was subject to harassment by government agents due to her failure to observe the hijab requirement. The government refutes these allegations, contending that her fall and subsequent head injury were a result of a decline in blood pressure. The parallels between Geravand and Amini’s deaths underscore the ongoing controversies surrounding the enforcement of hijab laws in Iran.

Amnesty International issued a statement this month urging the Iranian government to permit an impartial inquiry into the Geravand incident, accusing the Iranian government of a coverup and demanding UN involvement.

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