Iran Releases Viral Anti-Hijab Protester, but Activists Decry ‘Mental Illness’ Tactic.
Tehran, November 19: In a move that has drawn sharp criticism from activists, Iranian authorities have released the woman who went viral for stripping down to her underwear at a university campus in an apparent protest against the country’s mandatory hijab laws.
The woman, identified as Ahoo Daryaei by BBC Persian, had earlier this month stunned onlookers when she removed her clothing in a dramatic act of defiance against the mandatory headscarf rules. The incident, captured on video, quickly went viral online, drawing global attention to the issue of women’s rights in Iran.
According to a student movement organization, Daryaei’s on-campus protest unfolded after she reportedly clashed with security agents over not wearing a headscarf. She was subsequently detained, with Iranian officials claiming she was “sick” and transferring her to a psychiatric ward.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir later confirmed Daryaei’s release, stating that she was handed over to her family after it was determined that she was ill, and no judicial case would be filed against her.
Azam Jangravi, an activist who fled Iran after her own anti-hijab protest in 2018, said, “This is how the Islamic Republic tries to discredit women, by questioning their mental health.”
Jangravi revealed that her own family had faced pressure from Iranian authorities to declare her mentally ill, a tactic that she said many families resort to under duress, believing it’s the best way to protect their loved ones.
The Daryaei case is the latest example of what critics call the Iranian regime’s tactic of using mental health claims to undermine women’s rights activism.
Adding to the controversy, reports suggest the Iranian government plans to open a “hijab removal treatment clinic” to offer “scientific and psychological treatment” for women who defy the country’s mandatory hijab laws.
