A young woman at an Iranian university removed her clothing down to her underwear on Saturday, reportedly in protest against the country’s strict Islamic dress regulations, as seen in videos shared online and reported by media outlets.
Footage posted on social media captured the moment when security personnel at a branch of the Islamic Azad University detained the unidentified woman. University spokesperson Amir Mahjob, in a post on X, stated that “at the police station,… it was found that she was under severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder,” reported Reuters.
Form of protest?
However, some social media users interpreted her actions as an intentional form of protest. Lei La, a user on X, commented on the video, “For most women, being …in their underwear in public is one of their worst nightmares,… This is a reaction to the (authorities’) stupid insistence on the mandatory hijab.”
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The woman’s current situation remains unknown, but the daily newspaper *Hamshahri* reported on its website: “An informed source said…the perpetrator of this act has severe mental problems and, after investigations, she will most likely be transferred to a mental hospital.”
Growing protest
A growing number of women in Iran have defied authorities by abandoning their veils in public following nationwide protests that erupted after the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in September 2022. She had been detained by the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules, sparking widespread demonstrations that were subsequently quashed by security forces.
