Iranian teenager Armita Garawand, who was left in a coma after suffering an alleged attack on the Tehran subway at the hands of Moral Police officers, died today after spending almost a month hospitalized, a local media outlet said.
“Armita Garawand, a student from Tehran, died an hour ago after intensive medical treatment and 28 days of hospitalization in the special care unit,” announced the Borna press agency, dependent on the Ministry of Youth and Sports, according to the news agency. AFP news.
The teenager, 16 years old and originally from a Kurdish region, had been admitted to the Fajr hospital in Tehran since October 1, after fainting on the capital’s subway, in an incident whose circumstances generated controversy.
According to several NGOs, the teenager was seriously injured as a result of an “aggression” at the hands of members of the Moral Police, in charge of monitoring the obligation imposed on Iranian women to cover their heads with a veil in public.
The authorities, however, stated that she suffered an alleged “pressure drop” and denied any “verbal or physical altercation” between her and the passengers or officials of the Tehran subway.
Several human rights organizations called for an international investigation into the case.
In this context, the young woman’s mother and a journalist from the Shargh newspaper sent to the scene to cover the event were detained and later released.
According to Iranian media, the young woman’s mother was arrested after protesting against restrictions on visits to the hospital.
The NGO IHR, which has its headquarters in New York, also reported that journalist Maryam Lofti, from the Iranian newspaper Shargh, had been detained to “prevent her from properly reporting on Armita’s injuries.”
Armita’s alleged aggression is reminiscent of the death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, which occurred on September 16, 2022, which led to massive protests against the Government of Iran that left half a mile dead, according to unofficial reports.
Following these mobilizations, the authorities tightened controls on Iranian women and curtailed their rights and access to places such as beauty salons, hairdressers and public parks.
Amini, 22, of Kurdish origin, had been detained for allegedly violating the strict dress code imposed on women in Iran.
Amini and the Women, Life and Freedom movement were awarded the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize on October 19, highlighting women’s fight for their rights in Iran.
Source: Ambito
