Iran Woman Strips In Apparent Protest; University Says She Had 'Mental Disorder'

A female university student in Tehran was arrested after removing her clothing in an apparent protest following an alleged assault by security forces over her "improper" hijab. Videos shared on social media show the student, dressed only in her underwear, sitting in the university courtyard and walking in the street, shocking passersby.

The incident occurred at the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, where security guards intervened and handed the student over to law enforcement, according to university official Amir Mahjoub.

Mahjoub stated on X.com that the student was found to be under "severe mental pressure" and had a "mental disorder" at the police station.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports but Iran’s conservative Fars news agency confirmed the incident in a report, publishing a picture with the student heavily blurred out.

It said the student wore "inappropriate clothes" in class and "stripped" after being warned by security guards.

Witnesses cited by Fars denied reports of aggressive behaviour by security guards, claiming they spoke "calmly" with the student.

Iran's strict dress code requires women to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothes covering all bodily contours.

Growing number of women have defied authorities by discarding their veils after nationwide protests that followed the death in September 2022 of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules.

Those protests, which saw women defy authorities by removing their headscarves, were violently suppressed, resulting in 551 deaths and thousands of arrests.