4-10-2023 (TEHRAN) A 16-year-old Iranian girl, identified as Armita Garawand, lies in a coma in a hospital, heavily guarded, following an assault she endured on the Tehran subway. The incident has been attributed to Iran’s infamous morality police, according to human rights organization Hengaw. The Kurdish-focused group reported that Garawand suffered severe injuries during a confrontation with female police officers on the Tehran metro.
However, Iranian authorities have refuted these claims, asserting that the girl “fainted” due to low blood pressure and denying any involvement of security forces.
This incident comes at a time when Iranian authorities are on high alert, wary of any social unrest. It has been just over a year since the death of Mahsa Amini, who passed away while in custody for alleged violations of the country’s strict dress code for women. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests that unsettled Iran’s religious leaders. The demonstrations only subsided after a harsh crackdown, resulting in the arrest of thousands and the deaths of hundreds, as reported by activists.
Hengaw stated that Garawand was subjected to apprehension and physical assault by members of the so-called morality police at the Shohada metro station in Tehran on Sunday. The organization revealed that she is currently receiving treatment under strict security measures at Tehran’s Fajr hospital. “Visitation rights for the victim have been suspended, even for her family,” Hengaw added. They later released a photograph of Garawand in her hospital bed, where she appeared with her head and neck heavily bandaged and connected to a feeding tube. The organization stated that her state of consciousness remained unchanged.
Garawand, originally from the city of Kermanshah in western Iran, is a resident of Tehran, according to Hengaw.
Maryam Lotfi, a journalist from the Shargh daily newspaper, was detained immediately after attempting to visit the hospital in the aftermath of the incident. She was later released, according to Hengaw.
The incident has generated significant discussion on social media platforms. Some individuals claim to have seen a video purportedly depicting Garawand and her unveiled friends being pushed into the metro by female police officers, resulting in an immobile body being pulled out.
Masood Dorosti, the managing director of the Tehran subway system, refuted any allegations of verbal or physical conflict between the student and passengers or metro officials. “Rumors regarding a confrontation with metro staff are untrue, and CCTV footage disproves these claims,” Dorosti stated, as reported by state news agency IRNA.
IranWire, a news site based outside of Iran, cited a source who mentioned that Garawand had suffered a head injury after being pushed by the officers.
In the wake of Amini’s death, Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to suppress women who defy the country’s strict dress code, including the mandatory hijab. The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), based in New York, reported that women and girls are now facing increased violence, arbitrary arrests, and heightened discrimination due to the reactivation of forced-veiling police patrols by the Islamic Republic.
