Violent Arrest Of Woman For Hijab In Tehran Sparks Outrage

Iranian police officers violently detained a woman in Tehran on Saturday for non-compliance with mandatory hijab regulations.

The officers singled out the woman, physically assaulted her, and forced her into a police van.

According to videos released on social media, police forces in Shahrak-e Gharb, northwest of the capital Tehran, took the woman out of her vehicle because she was not covering herself in the car.

In recent years, security forces of the regime have detained numerous women and girls across the country for failing to adhere to compulsory hijab, subjecting them to physical abuse and harassment.

On January 3, Iranian woman Roya Heshmati received 74 lashes for defying the Islamic Republic’s mandatory hijab. The execution of the sentence sparked widespread condemnation on social media.

Despite restrictive legislation and the Islamic Republic's efforts to suppress opponents of mandatory hijab, the struggle for women in Iran to secure the right to choose their attire continues.

Since the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, which ignited the Women, Life, Freedom protests, the act of civil disobedience has become increasingly difficult for the regime to control. Daily images of women without compulsory hijab continue to circulate online.

According to the annual report by HRANA, a human rights organization, in 2023, 44 women were detained for women's rights activism. At least 20 activists have been sentenced to 182 months of imprisonment in addition to fines. Two individuals have also received a sentence of 222 lashes.