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Photos of a teenage girl lying unconscious in a Tehran hospital have raised concerns among Iranians about new cases similar to that of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested on suspicion of violating the country’s strict headscarf law. Death 2022.
The latest case has sparked a clash between Germany’s foreign minister and Iran’s foreign ministry on social media after activists said 16-year-old Amita Geravand was being targeted by “authorities” for allegedly violating the country’s rules on women’s headscarves. .
Geravand lost consciousness on the Tehran subway on Sunday morning while going to school with friends. CCTV footage from the station showed her entering the train and seconds later being pulled out unconscious by her friend. Metro management and state media said her blood pressure dropped.
The apparent echo of Amini’s apparent echo of Amini’s death in September 2022, after photos of her unconscious body went viral online and sparked anti-government protests across the country, raised concerns about similar incidents happening.
“The problem is, do you think it’s reasonable for her to be pushed or beaten while trying to enter a subway station without a hijab,” said Reza, a 22-year-old college student. “(I) don’t want to think that we have another Massa Amini.”
Amini’s death follows months of protests against Iran’s Islamic regime that left hundreds dead. Tehran accused “external forces” of making false reports about her injuries.
Masoud Dorosti, general manager of Tehran Metro, told state news agency IRNA that Geravand collapsed due to a drop in blood pressure and suffered a head injury. No image appeared in the carriage where Geravand was unconscious.
In a video posted by the Islamic News Agency, Geravand’s mother, sitting next to her husband, said the family “was informed that her blood pressure had dropped.”
Meanwhile, Hengaw, a human rights group outside Iran, claimed that Geravand was “physically assaulted by the authorities” at Shohada metro station “because they believed she was not complying with the mandatory hijab, and she continued to be victimized as a result.” Seriously injured”.
In recent months, the subway system has hired “hijab guardians” who are stationed at stations to prevent women who refuse to abide by hijab rules from using public transportation.
An Iranian journalist was briefly arrested on Monday when he went to the hospital to report on Geravand’s condition, Iranian media reported. Two female journalists who reported on Amini’s hospitalization and death have been jailed since last year.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said on social media platform She added that the girl’s parents “do not belong on camera but have the right to be at their daughter’s bedside”.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani countered on “The Girls express insincere concerns.” their situation. “
Since the protests following Amini’s death, many women have refused to wear headscarves in public, and authorities have largely turned a blind eye.
However, some hardline politicians insist that hijab laws should be fully enforced again, and parliament last month passed a law tightening regulations on hijabs.
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