Rights Group Urges International Probe Into Iranian Comatose Girl's Case

A human rights group has called for independent investigation into circumstances surrounding the case of an Iranian comatose schoolgirl amid mounting evidence of a cover up.

Amnesty International said Friday the global community must demand that the Iranian authorities allow an independent international delegation, including UN experts, to enter the country to investigate the circumstances leading up to the hospitalization of 16-year-old Armita Gervand, who fell unconscious on a Tehran subway train after an encounter with regime’s hijab enforcers.

She was reportedly pushed by a hijab enforcer recently deployed at subways stations, and has been in a coma since. Iran’s state media has aired footage showing Armita entering a Tehran subway station without covering her hair, waiting with friends, and then being carried out of a metro car unconscious by her friends. The state media have not shown any footage from inside the metro car and claim there were no CCTVs to record the incident inside the train.

Analysis by Amnesty International’s Evidence Lab reveals the video frame rate was increased in four sections and detected a gap of three minutes and 16 seconds in the footage. Two eyewitnesses have also confirmed to the Guardian that hijab enforcers were involved in Armita’s injury Sunday morning.

“Iranian authorities arrested a journalist investigating the incident and circulated propaganda videos on state media featuring Armita visibly distressed parents and friends reluctantly reiterating the state narrative that she collapsed due to low blood pressure,” Amnesty said.

“Iranian authorities are waging a concerted campaign of denial and distortion to cover up the truth about the circumstances..., chillingly reminiscent of their bogus narratives and unplausible explanations of Mahsa/Zhina Amini’s hospitalization just over a year ago,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.“The international community must also demand that Armita Garawand’s relatives, friends and journalists seeking the truth are protected from reprisals and harassment."