Outrage and Outcry: Violent Clash with Iranian Morality Police Leaves Teenage Girl Hospitalized
Iranian activists allege assault by morality police on a teenage girl for not wearing a headscarf in Tehran metro She was hospitalized with severe injuries However, authorities and her parents claim hospitalization was due to low blood pressure
Activists have leveled accusations against Iran's morality police, claiming that a teenage girl was assaulted at a Tehran metro station for not wearing a headscarf. The incident resulted in her hospitalization with serious injuries. However, Iranian authorities and the girl's parents have stated that she was admitted to the hospital due to low blood pressure. According to the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which focuses on Kurdish rights, 16-year-old Armita Geravand, originally from Kermanshah, was reportedly subjected to a "severe physical assault" by the morality police and has been in a coma since Sunday. Another opposition network, IranWire, has obtained information indicating that Geravand was admitted to the hospital with "head trauma."
CNN was unable to confirm the validity of the information reported by Hengaw and Iranwire, who have previously extensively covered protests in Iran.
According to an interview with Geravand's parents conducted by state media, they stated that their daughter hit her head as a result of fainting due to low blood pressure while she was on her way to school. The parents claimed that the videos they watched did not show any signs of Geravand being attacked.
CNN has requested a comment from the Iranian government.
According to the mother, it was reported that the individual experienced low blood pressure, resulting in a fall on the floor. Subsequently, her head made contact with the metro's edge before being assisted off the train by her friends.
A video shared on Fars News Agency's official Twitter account, known as X, shows several girls entering a metro train. It is not clear which girl in the video is Geravand. Notably, some of the girls accompanying Geravand are not wearing headscarves. Shortly after, the video depicts a group of girls carrying Geravand out of the train and placing her on the metro platform, while the train departs from the station.
There is no evidence of any altercation in the edited video shared by state media. CNN is unable to verify if the video is authentic.
According to the CEO of the Tehran metro, Geravand did not engage in any physical or verbal altercation with the staff members.
"After conducting our investigation and analyzing the CCTV footage from the moment she entered the station and boarded the train, we have found no evidence of any verbal or physical altercation involving the passengers or our staff. The videos did not capture any such incidents," stated Masoud Dorosti, the managing director of Tehran metro, in an interview with state media.
During the interview with state media, the father mentioned that the hospital is conducting a comprehensive examination."
Previously, Iranian authorities have been accused by UN human rights officials and rights groups of exerting pressure on the families of the deceased protesters to make statements in favor of the government's narrative. It is uncertain if Geravand's family was forced to speak to state media. CNN has made attempts to contact the family for their input, but has been unsuccessful.
According to the Fars News Agency, the teenager is presently receiving medical care at a hospital in Tehran. In a separate statement published on Wednesday, IranWire disclosed that she is being treated at Fajr Air Force Hospital.
Following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly and subsequently died in custody, protests erupted throughout Iran. These demonstrations resulted in nationwide unrest.
According to the United Nations, the protests lasting several months resulted in the deaths of over 300 individuals, including more than 40 children. In January, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that the death toll exceeded 500, with 70 children among the victims. The UN also stated that thousands of individuals were arrested across the country, referencing a report by their Human Rights Committee which was released last year.
The journalist from the Iranian pro-reform outlet, Shargh Daily, who had visited Fajr Air Force Hospital to cover Geravand's condition, was arrested on Tuesday, as stated in a tweet by Shargh Daily on X. Maryam Lotfi, the reporter, has been released since then, as reported by the outlet.
