Suspicion of assault by ‘moral police’… Will anti-government protests reignite?
Armita Garawand (17), a high school girl who was suspected to have fallen into a coma after being assaulted by Iran’s so-called ‘morality police’ after riding the subway without her hijab, died on the 26th. As with the case of Martha Amini, a Kurdish woman in her 20s who died for similar reasons last September, suspicions that the authorities are trying to cover up the incident have not subsided.
Closed-circuit (CCTV) footage released by Iranian authorities only shows Garawand getting on a subway car with friends without a hijab on the 1st of this month, and being lifted out in an unconscious state a short time later. Authorities allege he collapsed from low blood pressure and hit his head on a metal structure in the process. However, suspicions were heightened by not disclosing the video inside the train, which was key evidence. Garawand was declared brain dead on the 22nd, three weeks later, and eventually died.
On the other hand, international human rights groups such as Hengau believe that the cause of death was assault by moral police. In Iran, a theocratic country, strong sanctions are imposed on those who do not wear the hijab properly, as it is a violation of Islamic law. The moral police are responsible for this task.
Immediately after Amini’s death, anti-government protests continued throughout Iran for a long time, protesting his death and calling for an investigation into the truth. According to the British Financial Times (FT), many young women who protested against Amini’s death refused to wear the hijab in public places, and Iran’s leadership reportedly disapproved of this move.
Accordingly, in recent months, morality police have been deployed heavily in the Tehran subway to crack down on non-wearing of the hijab. Congress also passed a bill last month that could result in up to 10 years in prison for women who refuse to wear the hijab. Considering this, we cannot rule out the possibility that nationwide anti-government protests condemning Garawand’s death will resume, as they did during Amini’s time.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.