International Concern Grows Over Iranian Teenage Girl In Coma

The UN Human Rights Council has announced that its fact-finding committee on Iran is probing the reported assault on a 16-year-old girl, who is in coma at a Tehran hospital.

Armita Geravand suffered a severe head injury when reportedly hijab enforcers used physical force in the subway on October 1 because she was not wearing a headscarf.

UNHRC stated, "We are investigating the reported assault of 16-year-old Armita Geravand for alleged non-compliance with mandatory hijab laws, one year after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini. Women's right to equality must be upheld."

Amnesty International has also urged the global community to press Iranian authorities to permit an independent international delegation, including United Nations experts, to investigate the circumstances leading to Geravand’s coma after reports of an attack by compulsory hijab enforcers.

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated, “Iranian authorities are waging a concerted campaign of denial and distortion to cover up the truth about the circumstances that led to Armita Garawand’s collapse, chillingly reminiscent of their bogus narratives and unplausible explanations of Mahsa/Zhina Amini’s hospitalization just over a year ago.”

Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, also expressed concern about Geravand’s deteriorating health, responding to an Iran International reporter in Berlin. He emphasized that reports suggest her situation resulted from a confrontation with hijab enforcement authorities and underscored that if confirmed, it would be unacceptable and unjustifiable.