A female Iranian student was arrested on Saturday for removing her clothing in protest after reportedly being assaulted by security forces at Tehran's Islamic Azad University over improper hijab.
A video showing the student sitting in the courtyard of the university’s Science and Research Branch has gone viral on Iranian social media.
A university official later confirmed her arrest. "Following an indecent act by a student at the Science and Research Branch of the university, campus security intervened and handed the individual over to law enforcement authorities," Amir Mahjoub, Director General of Public Relations at Islamic Azad University, wrote on X. "The motives and underlying reasons for the student's actions are currently under investigation."
On the same day, Amir Kabir Newsletter, a student group on Telegram, reported details of the incident, saying that the student disrobed after being harassed for not wearing a headscarf and having her clothing torn by security forces.
During the student's arrest, she was subjected to severe physical assault, including her head striking either a car door or a pillar, which caused heavy bleeding. “Blood stains from the student were reportedly seen on the car’s tires,” the report noted.
Since the emergence of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 while in police custody over hijab violations, hardliners have intensified efforts to enforce strict dress codes for women. Despite widespread public defiance, government measures to reinforce mandatory hijab laws have escalated, resulting in the closure of businesses and the impoundment of vehicles associated with hijab offenses.
Project Noor, launched on April 13 to enforce hijab regulations, has led to a notable increase in the presence of police forces, Basij paramilitary units, and plainclothes officers in public spaces. Additionally, universities such as Alzahra University in Tehran have adopted facial recognition technology at entry gates, denying access to students whose appearance does not comply with strict hijab laws.
During his campaign, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the proposed hijab legislation as the "Darkness Plan" and pledged to end morality police patrols and the use of violence against women for non-compliance with hijab rules.
Nevertheless, in October, Iran's Guardian Council approved the controversial Hijab and Chastity bill, which is now under parliamentary review.
