Iran expels Afghan researcher over hijab ‘non-compliance’

Iranian authorities have expelled Kobra Gholami, an outspoken Afghan social researcher, allegedly for failing to comply with the country's mandatory hijab regulations.

Reports indicate that, despite possessing valid residency documents, Gholami received multiple text message warnings regarding her hijab before being summoned to the passport office, where she was detained by Iranian police and deported within hours.

The people close to her contend that her expulsion lacked legal justification and that she was denied the opportunity to communicate with her family.

Her deportation has ignited a social media firestorm amid Iran's ongoing crackdown on women over mandatory hijab.

Users have launched a campaign with the hashtag "#BringBackKobra," voicing concerns about her fate in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and advocating for her return to Iran.

Shima Va’ezi, an Iranian social media user, drew attention to Gholami's abrupt deportation on X, stating, "Kobra is now on the bus and hasn't had the chance to speak to or say goodbye to her family and loved ones. She possessed all the necessary residency documents and was pursuing a master's degree at Al-Zahra University."

On Thursday, Ameneh Zamani, a child rights activist briefly detained in 2022, wrote on her Instagram account that Gholami recently delivered a speech in Iran titled "Identity Formation of Migrant Women at the Intersection of Gender and Nationality."

Describing Gholami as a "strong and independent" woman, Zamani wrote: "All of us women dream of living in a world of freedom. Let's be Kobra’s voice! As Kobra said, 'Hope is the seed of our identity.'"

Last year, Gholami spoke at the sixth conference on Social-Cultural Research in Iran, under the theme "Femininity and Social-Cultural Transformation," in a panel titled "Afghan Migrant Women in the Cycle of Oppression," where she criticized the treatment of Afghan migrant women in Iran.

Afghans constitute the majority of immigrants in Iran, both legal and illegal, and are frequently labeled as "foreign nationals" by officials and the media. Currently, officials estimate the number of Afghan immigrants in Iran to be as high as 8 million.

International human rights organizations have recorded years of mistreatment of Afghan refugees and migrants in Iran as they continue to be deprived of many essential services, including healthcare, employment opportunities, and housing. However, a large influx since the 2021 takeover of the Taliban has led to some backlash by Iranians who say their country has multiple serious economic and social crises and cannot handle refugees.

According to Afghan authorities, Iran deported over 20,000 Afghan children last year, many of whom were unaccompanied and without guardians.