Iranian authorities arrested a female student on Saturday after she staged a solo protest against harassment by stripping down to her underwear outside her university, according to various reports.
The woman, who has not been identified, had been harassed inside Tehran’s prestigious Islamic Azad University by members of the Basij paramilitary force, who tore off her headscarf and clothing, as reported by several news outlets and social media channels outside Iran.
In response to the harassment, she removed her clothes in protest and sat outside the university wearing only her underwear. She then defiantly walked down the street, shocking passersby, as shown in videos posted on social media.
Under Iran’s mandatory dress code, women are required to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing in public.
The footage, which was first posted by Iranian student social media channel the Amir Kabir newsletter, was published by numerous Persian-language outlets, including the Hengaw rights group and Iran Wire news website, as well as Amnesty International
The footage appeared to have been shot by onlookers in a neighbouring building. Another video showed her being bundled into a car by men in plain clothes and driven off to an undisclosed location.
The Amir Kabir newsletter alleged she was beaten during the arrest.
“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 said.
The London-based rights group, which has in the past years chronicled allegations of abuse against women in Iranian prisons, added: “Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure access to family and lawyer.”
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