It was only on November 5 that the Iranian government officially spoke about the young woman, through its spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani: “She was transferred directly from the police station to the hospital and is currently receiving treatment. […] It's still too early to talk about this student's return to university […]“.
“Psychological problems”
In the press and on social networks, anonymous witnesses and activist groups are trying to fill in what smartphones were unable to capture: the student arrived in class with her hair veiled, but she was not wearing the with us regulatory. Harassed by members of Basij (a militia created in 1979 on the orders of Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini and charged by the State with maintaining public order) who allegedly tore off part of her clothes, she allegedly, as a sign protest, undressed. According to several sources, she suffered a head injury during her arrest.
The Islamic Republic on a war footing for the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini
Unsurprisingly, the facts were denied by the Iranian authorities, who refute any violence. The university spokesperson, Amir Mahjoub, decided to discredit the young woman, assuring that she was “s“strong mental pressure” and suffered from “psychological problems” and “personal difficulties”. According to official media, she was transferred to a psychiatric center, and on November 5, several public figures spoke out about the young woman's poor mental health. This is cause for concern, given that passage through a psychiatric institution is often part of Iran's repressive arsenal, especially against women.
Nicknamed “the girl of science and research”, from the name of her campus, she would be called Alou Daryaeri, would be a literature student, aged 30, and according to information from the university, she would be divorced and the mother of two children. A man, with a blurred face, spoke on video to the official media, claiming to be “the husband of the woman guilty of the crime of indecent assault” and asking that the videos not be broadcast.
Wave of national and international support
According to the Iranian law on hijab and chastity, “the daughter of science and research” risks a heavy prison sentence. Amended in 2023 by the Iranian Parliament and approved in September by the Guardian Council of the Constitution, the law has considerably toughened for women. The numerous articles provide for fines, bans on travel or use of the Internet, and sentences of up to fifteen years in prison in the event of militant action, repeat offenses or intervention by “foreign agents”. Iranian legislation also allows the use of cameras and artificial intelligence to track offenses, including online, according to a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch published on October 14.
Harassed in Iran over her headscarf, an academic takes off her clothes: “The reaction of other students is disturbing”
These amendments follow the wave of demonstrations provoked by the death, in September 2022, of Mahsa Amini, arrested for “wearing inappropriate clothing” and beaten to death by the police. The movement Woman, Life, Freedomborn on this occasion, was very harshly repressed.
The videos, widely shared on social networks, caused a wave of emotion and support for the student, in Iran and internationally. Described as “the flame” who was going “burn the roots of oppression” by human rights defender Hossein Ronaghi, the “daughter of science and research” was celebrated for her courage by many personalities supporting Woman, Life, Freedom and was elevated to the status of an international heroine.
Amnesty International called for the student's immediate release, and the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran, Mai Sato, quickly announced on X that she would closely monitor the situation – without taking action yet.
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