Fuss over arrest

Iranian woman protests against the regime in her underwear

Pro-government media attested to the woman's "psychological problems" following her underwear protest.

(Bild: x.com/kavefarzandemel)

Apparently because she felt harassed by the mullah regime's morality watchdogs, an Iranian woman stripped down to her underwear and protested half-naked against the strict dress code. The student was arrested on Saturday. Footage of her protest spread like wildfire on social media.

The woman studying at the private Azad University in Tehran was harassed by members of the militia belonging to the Revolutionary Guards, activists said on Saturday. The guards on campus tore her clothes in the process. In protest, she then ran through the streets in her underwear, as a video shows (see below).

Other images show the young woman being pushed into a car by men in plain clothes. According to the student portal Amir Kabir, the young woman, whose identity is not known, was beaten during the arrest. The video was apparently recorded by the residents of a building near the university. 

Many Iranian women do not adhere to the strict dress code. The obligatory headscarf is often not visible.

(Bild: APA/AFP/ATTA KENARE)

Strict dress codes apply in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are increasingly being aggressively ignored by the younger generation. Compliance with them is also monitored by so-called moral guardians. Since the nationwide protests in autumn 2022, many women in the major cities have been resisting the headscarf requirement. However, a case like this, in which a woman undresses down to her underwear, is not yet known. 

Government: "Woman has psychological problems"
Pro-government media reported that the university's security service had handed the student over to the police. They rejected the account on social media and spoke of the young woman's "psychological problems". The incident is being investigated, they added. Her privacy must be respected. An Iranian student association reported that the woman had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The human rights organization Amnesty International called for her immediate release.