Young Iranian Woman Arrested After Publicly Removing Clothes in Bold Protest

In an act of defiance against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws, a young female student at Tehran’s Azad University of Science and Research was arrested on Saturday after staging a solo protest by stripping to her underwear in public. The student, whose identity has not been disclosed, sat outside her university dressed only in her underwear and bra, later walking through the street, reportedly to the surprise and shock of passers-by.

The Amir Kabir newsletter, a student-led social media channel, reported that the young woman had been harassed by members of Iran’s Basij militia within the university grounds and that the harassment prompted her decision to strip in protest.

Reports circulated widely on social media, especially from Iranian channels operating outside the country. Video footage quickly spread through Persian-language outlets, including the Dadban legal affairs social media channel, the Hengaw rights group, and Iran Wire news website.

The footage, recorded by observers from a nearby building, shows the student being escorted to an unmarked vehicle by men in plain clothes; her whereabouts are currently unknown.

A spokesman for the Azad University said the student had been found to have a “mental disorder.” However, young Iranians across social media have suggested her actions were, in fact, a brave act of protest against the country’s strict dress code for women.

“My whole body was shaking when I saw her picture. That woman is beyond brave,” a female journalist in Iran who prefers anonymity told More to Her Story, “The fight of Iranian women is an ongoing fight. We are fighting each day. It’s a long fight, and she’ll be one of the bravest figures in our fight for liberty,”

Iran’s dress code, which mandates that women wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing in public, has long been a focal point for protest in the country. While the Fars news agency, a conservative outlet in Iran, confirmed the incident, its report suggested that the student had worn “inappropriate clothes” in class and “stripped” after security guards advised her to comply with regulations. The news agency reported that the guards spoke to the student “calmly” and denied allegations of force or aggression.

This incident comes in the wake of mass women-led protests that broke out in Iran in late 2022, following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in custody after being detained for allegedly violating the dress code. Amini’s death sparked months of protests, where women openly removed their headscarves and, at times, set them aflame in symbolic acts of resistance. These protests, however, were met with a government crackdown that left hundreds of demonstrators dead and saw thousands detained.

As of now, the fate of the young protester remains unclear. The incident underscores the ongoing struggle for women’s autonomy in Iran, as strict dress codes continue to be enforced through a network of surveillance and control by authorities. The protest also highlights the deep and persistent desire among many young Iranians, especially women, for greater personal freedoms.