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The unidentified woman stripped to her underwear outside Tehran’s prestigious Islamic Azad University to protest the harassment she faced from members of the Basij paramilitary force
Visual of protest by Iranian woman (Photo: Social media)
The fate of an Iranian woman student, who was arrested after she staged a solo protest against harassment by stripping to her underwear outside her university, remains unclear.
The unidentified woman stripped to her underwear outside Tehran’s prestigious Islamic Azad University to protest the harassment she faced from members of the Basij paramilitary force, who reportedly ripped off her headscarf and clothes.
Videos shared on social media show her sitting outside the university in just her underwear, before defiantly walking down the street, surprising passers-by.
Footage shows her on the university campus as other students look on in disbelief. Shortly after, security guards detained her and took her away. Her current whereabouts are still unknown.
Under Iran’s strict dress code, women are required to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing in public. The footage of the protest was initially posted by the Amir Kabir newsletter and later shared by various Persian-language outlets, including the Hengaw rights group and Iran Wire.
Amnesty International also published the videos, which appeared to be filmed by bystanders from a nearby building. Another clip shows her being forcibly placed into a car by men in plain clothes and driven away.
The Amir Kabir newsletter has claimed that she was beaten during her arrest. Amnesty International has called for her immediate and unconditional release, stating, “Iran’s authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials.”
The London-based organisation has also urged independent investigations into allegations of beatings and sexual violence during her arrest. “Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure access to family and lawyer,” it added.
Iran’s conservative Fars News Agency confirmed the incident, stating that the student had worn “inappropriate clothes” in class and “stripped” after being warned by security guards. According to them, security personnel spoke to her “calmly” and denied claims of aggressive behaviour.
This incident follows the nationwide protests that erupted in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman who was arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.
These protests saw women challenging the norms by removing their headscarves and, in some cases, burning them. The demonstrations eventually subsided due to a harsh crackdown that resulted in the deaths of 551 protesters and the arrest of thousands.
(With inputs from AFP)
