Female student who stripped to protest harassment arrested in Iran

Iranian authorities detained a female student on Saturday after she staged a solo protest against harassment by stripping down to her underwear outside her university, according to multiple reports.

The student, whose identity remains undisclosed, was reportedly harassed by members of the Basij paramilitary force inside Tehran’s esteemed Islamic Azad University. According to various news outlets and social media sources outside Iran, the Basij members tore at her headscarf and clothing during the incident.

In response, she removed her remaining clothing and sat in front of the university dressed only in her underwear. Social media videos captured her as she continued her protest, walking down the street to the astonishment of onlookers.

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Under Iranian law, women are required to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting attire in public spaces.

Originally shared by the Amir Kabir student social media channel, the footage was subsequently published by several Persian-language outlets, including the Hengaw rights group, Iran Wire news site, and Amnesty International.

The video appeared to have been recorded by onlookers in a nearby building. In a separate clip, men in plain clothes were seen forcing her into a car and driving her to an unknown location.

– “Cry from the Heart” –
The Amir Kabir newsletter alleged that the student was beaten during her detention.

“Iran’s authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials,” Amnesty International urged in a statement.

The London-based rights group, which has documented abuse allegations against women in Iranian prisons over recent years, added: “Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure access to family and a lawyer.”

They emphasized that “allegations of beatings and sexual violence against her during arrest need independent and impartial investigations.”

Iran’s conservative Fars news agency confirmed the incident, publishing an image with the student’s appearance heavily blurred. According to Fars, the student had worn “inappropriate clothing” in class and “stripped” after being advised by security to observe the dress code.

Citing “witnesses,” Fars claimed that security officials “calmly” spoke with the student and refuted reports of aggressive conduct.

Near-nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman, in custody after she was detained for an alleged dress code violation. The unrest led to women across the country defying convention by removing or even burning their headscarves. The crackdown that followed left 551 protesters dead and resulted in thousands of arrests.

“We must not leave each other to stand alone,” Iranian actress Katayoun Riahi wrote on Instagram, expressing support for the student.

Hossein Ronaghi, a prominent Iranian activist jailed during the 2022 protests, commended the student’s “bravery” in a post on X, describing her act as a “cry from the heart against the oppression that has stifled the lives of so many, especially women.”