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Iran is under pressure to release a female university student who removed her clothing in an apparent protest at compulsory hijab laws, turning her into a symbol of civil disobedience and testing the Islamic republic’s grip on its social and cultural policies.
The student was detained over the weekend for walking around the campus of Islamic Azad University in Tehran in her underwear following an alleged confrontation with a security official who reportedly instructed her to comply with Islamic dress codes, according to videos and accounts on social media.
The unprecedented act has ignited a debate in Iranian society at a sensitive time for the leadership.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist who was elected in July, has attempted to manage public discontent by taking a softer line on the Islamic republic’s strict morality laws.
But he has also sought to maintain firm policies on foreign affairs amid rising tensions with Israel, with the regime vowing an “unimaginable” retaliation to Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets last month.
Iranian politicians are wary of a repeat of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests two years ago, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. More than 300 people died in the unrest, according to Amnesty International.
Pezeshkian’s administration has instructed police forces to avoid physical confrontation with women over hijab laws, even though no official legal amendments have been made.
This unofficial shift remains controversial, however, with hardliners staunchly opposed to any perceived leniency on hijab enforcement, which they view as a fundamental Islamic principle.
Amnesty said Iran “must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested”.
It added that: “Allegations of beatings and sexual violence against her during [the] arrest need independent and impartial investigation. Those responsible must be held to account.”
University authorities denied there was any physical clash, claiming the student — whose identity has not been disclosed — was calmly escorted to a mental health facility.
They described her actions as stemming from mental distress rather than a political statement. No charges have been filed against her, and officials stopped short of labelling her behaviour as intentional dissent.
Since coming to power, Pezeshkian has made other attempts to shore up domestic support for the Islamic republic.
The administration has appointed several members of Iranian minorities to senior posts in an effort to appease communities that have long felt marginalised. This included naming a Sunni Kurdish Iranian as vice-president for provincial affairs and a Baluchi Sunni to govern Sistan-Baluchestan province, a particular flashpoint during the unrest two years ago.
But hardline elements continue to hold sway. Last week, the judiciary executed Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dissident, on charges of orchestrating a “terrorist” attack in 2008. And Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with the judiciary, reported on Monday that Arvin Ghahremani, a Jewish Iranian, was executed following his conviction for murder.
Hardliners have been quick to frame the student’s act, and the subsequent public response, as part of an Israeli conspiracy to destabilise Iran.
“This woman overreacted due to her mental condition and had no political motivation,” Hamid-Reza Taraghi, a hardline politician, told the Financial Times. “But Israel’s mercenaries inside Iran wrongfully think they can exploit this incident to stir domestic unrest. Their plot has already failed.”
Hostilities between Iran and Israel have escalated this year with a series of retaliatory strikes. Israel’s latest attack came after a barrage of missiles from Iran last month.
Despite Iranian threats of further strikes, Pezeshkian on Sunday suggested that a ceasefire between Israel, Hizbollah and Hamas could influence Tehran’s decision to retaliate again.
Some in Tehran suggested the decision to detain the woman was an unwelcome distraction. “The real concern is war, not what a woman wears,” said a worker at a butcher shop in Tehran.
