US Condemns Iran’s Violent Assault Of Human Rights Defenders
The United States has denounced the Iranian authorities' violent assault and unjust detention of several human rights defenders during the funeral of Armita Geravand.
The United States has denounced the Iranian authorities' violent assault and unjust detention of several human rights defenders during the funeral of Armita Geravand.
Armita, 16, fell into a coma on October 1 after a violent encounter with hijab enforcers in the Tehran subway. While the government's attempts to obscure the incident's details, it appears she was pushed by a female agent, leading to a severe head injury.
Amid the mourning at Armita's funeral, several human rights defenders, including the renowned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and other peaceful activists, were arrested.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the State Department expressed its condemnation of the Iranian regime's treatment of its own people, especially its campaign of violence against the country's women and girls. The statement read, "The United States will continue to stand with the brave people of Iran and work with the international community to hold the regime accountable for its human rights abuses at home and abroad."
Security measures were put in place to prevent the dissemination of information around the young girl's death which echoed that of Mahsa Amini over a year ago, which triggered nationwide unrest across Iran. State security imposed a blackout on all photographs and CCTV footage from the scene on the subway and at Tehran's Fajr Hospital. Armita was declared brain dead and passed away in the hospital on Saturday.
