A 16-year-old Iranian girl, Armita Geravand, fell into a coma after reportedly being assaulted by hijab enforcement officers, also known as the “morality police,” in a subway station in Tehran.
She was admitted to Fajr Air Force Hospital in Tehran on Sunday, October 1, reportedly with “head trauma and visible head injuries.” What exactly happened to Armita and her current situation is still unclear, as authorities have increased security around the hospital.
“Today [October 6], they even canceled all visitation in the ICU ward on the first floor and kept everyone on the ground floor,” a source told Radio Zamaneh.
Armita’s case unfolds just over a year after Mahsa Jina Amini’s killing by “morality officers,” with authorities trying to deflect responsibility by claiming she suffered from preexisting health conditions.
Armita is an art student from a working-class neighborhood in western Tehran with a passion for painting and semi-professionally trained in taekwondo.
Missing CCTV Footage
Authorities released CCTV footage, which appeared to have been edited, showing Armita and her female friends entering a subway car without headscarves.
Soon after, one of her friends quickly stepped out and reached for the ground, while Armita was pulled out unconscious with the assistance of other passengers.
Eyewitnesses and rights groups allege that she fell during a confrontation with “morality officers” for not wearing the mandatory hijab. However, authorities have refuted such claims, asserting that she “fainted due to a drop in blood pressure.”
No video from inside the subway has been released yet. Activists have also pointed out that some clips are missing from the CCTV footage the authorities released.
The missing footage of Armita inside the subway, the surveillance of her relatives and friends, the presence of guards around the hospital, and the restriction of journalists all deepen the suspicion that authorities are concealing the true nature of what happened to her.
Witnesses Recount the Incident
According to IranWire, eyewitnesses saw Armita and two friends confronted by agents at the Shohada metro station who demanded that they wear headscarves and allegedly pushed one of the girls.
A witness also told the Guardian that after Armita entered the carriage, a female hijab enforcer started arguing with her because she wasn’t wearing a headscarf.
“The chador-clad woman screamed at her, asking her why she was not covered. Armita then told her, ‘Do I ask you to remove your headscarf? Why are you asking me to wear one?’ Their argument then turned violent. The hijab enforcer started physically attacking Armita and … violently pushed her.”
Another source told Radio Zamaneh that Armita and two of her friends had an argument with officers who warned them to wear headscarves, and they pushed Armita, resulting in her head hitting a metal object.
Armita’s Parents on State Television
The Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA published an interview on October 3 with Armita’s parents, who have reportedly been allowed to see their daughter only a few times from behind windows.
“I don’t know what. I think they say that her blood pressure dropped, then she fell down, and her head hit the edge of the metro,” Armita’s mother said, stumbling over her words as her voice shook.
Armita’s father, Ahmad Geravand, looked down with folded arms. He said his daughter had been healthy and not on any medications.
Many observers have described the interview as a “forced confession.” Sources told IranWire that the family is under heavy pressure from security agencies to follow the State’s version of the incident.
Armita’s Mother Arrested
Armita’s mother, Shahin Ahmadi, was arrested on October 4 near Fajr Hospital, where her daughter is receiving medical attention, according to the Hengaw human rights organization.
Reportedly, she was taken to an undisclosed location, and security forces have warned her family not to publicize the news of her arrest.
In another interview with State Television, Ahmadi complained that her family had yet to see all the CCTV footage from the metro station where the incident occurred.
On Monday, October 2, Shargh Daily reporter Maryam Lotfi arrived at Fajr Hospital in order to prepare a report on Armita’s situation. However, authorities arrested her upon arrival and released her a few hours later.
“This news has ominous echoes of last year's tragic death-in-custody of Mahsa Amini, and we call on Iranian authorities not to relaunch their vicious censorship machine by detaining and harassing journalists covering this important event,” said Sherif Mansour of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Heavy Security Presence Around the Hospital and Armita’s Family
On October 4, the Hengaw human rights organization, which shared a photo of Armita in her hospital bed, reported that security agents had confiscated the mobile phones of her family members.
Radio Farda also reported the presence of plainclothes officers in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Journalist Samira Rahi posted a photograph showing the presence of law enforcement personnel stationed outside Fajr Hospital, where Armita is currently in a coma.
“Two police cars are positioned at the entrance to the emergency room of Fajr Hospital, and the presence of plainclothes officers is evident,” she wrote on X, citing an informed source.
The journalist further reported that "security forces have been inspecting the vehicles passing through this area and, in some instances, have been scrutinizing the content of the passengers’ cell phones."
Pressure on Classmates and Teachers
Authorities have applied immense pressure on Armita’s teachers and classmates to control the narrative around the incident that led to her hospitalization.
“Today, the Ministry of Education’s Security Director visited Armita Geravand’s school and threatened her teachers. He emphasized that sharing any news or photos of Armita Geravand on social media by her teachers would result in heavy fines and the immediate termination of their contracts,” the Coordination Council of Iran Educators said on October 4.
It also added that Armita’s classmates were coerced into appearing in front of cameras to deny that she had been assaulted by officers. On October 2, the Council said that the Security Director of Tehran’s Education Directorate also threatened the teachers and students against “sharing any information” about Armita’s condition.