A recent incident regarding a female student of Islamic Azad University at Tehran was that she was referred to on social media as Ahoo Daryaei, who removed her clothes down to her underwear. This act, many describe as protesting against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws, has attracted widespread attention and publicity on the Internet within a very short period of time. Iranian government officials said her act was not the security threat but was mentally ill.
According to reports, the government spokesperson has quoted saying that her issue is being addressed from the “social perspective” instead of the security angle. She said Daryaei had been moved from the police station to a treatment facility and that what they described as a “troubled individual” needed “solutions.”
Authorities have not specified the type of treatment Daryaei is receiving, nor have they provided a timeline for her return to university. According to Mohajerani, a video published by Daryaei’s husband shows that she has serious mental disorders and cannot be decided upon about the future of her academic life unless she is treated first.
The Iranian authorities are still dealing with continued social tensions over women’s dress codes. Many Iranian women have publicly opposed such regulations, especially after the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
Amini was a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody for violating strict hijab laws of the country, sparking mass protests and demands for reform. Since then, women increasingly began to remove their veils, risking repercussions.
Amnesty International claimed that Daryaei was “forcibly arrested” after she protested, and asked for her “immediate release.” She is among thousands of Iranian women joining the larger cause against abusive compulsory veiling. An Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency rejected all online reactions by claiming this is part of an “anti-Iran movement.” The agency drew parallels to 2022’s protests regarding Amini’s death.
This development underscores the ongoing complications in Iran around issues of personal freedom and state-imposed dress codes, whereby more Iranians defy the rules through public protests despite the existence of state-imposed consequences.
