Armita Garavand: Another Victim of Mandatory Hijab and Government Murder in Iran

Hengaw: October 28, 2023

Armita Garavand, a 17-year-old girl who fell into a coma after an assault by special officers enforcing compulsory hijab in the Tehran subway, has tragically passed away. She was taken to Tehran Air Force's Fajr Hospital where she recently suffered brain death, and doctors gave up hope for her recovery.

According to a report just received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Armita Garavand, a 17-year-old from Kermanshah (Kermashan), has become the latest victim of forced hijab and has died after 28 days of hospitalization in Tehran's Fajr Hospital.

Given the Islamic Republic's history of concealing the truth, especially regarding the government's involvement in such cases, and the lack of trust in government institutions, Hengaw has called for an independent medical team consisting of Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross based in Tehran, with the presence of a UN fact-finding committee representative regarding the situation in Iran, to investigate Armita Gravand's condition. However, security agencies not only prevented the formation of the fact-finding committee but also arrested independent journalists attempting to investigate her case at the hospital.

Armita Garavand, born on April 2, 2006, was in perfect physical and mental health before the unfortunate attack by police. She was known for her achievements in the martial sport of Taekwondo, having acquired a "third dan" and being a recent member of the "Anahid Razm" team in Tehran, where she earned a "POM 1" belt.

Over the past 28 days, the Islamic Republic of Iran has attempted to distort the narrative surrounding the government's involvement in her death, claiming her condition was due to a "pressure drop" in the subway. Hengaw had previously highlighted that security authorities continuously erase the control and memory of CCTV cameras at Fajar Hospital, where Armita Gravand was being treated. The hospital was previously under the authority of the Army's protection pillar.

Since her admission to the hospital, the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have covertly published misleading information and censored news. Among these actions, they have pressured Armita Garavand's classmates, friends, and parents to provide accounts of planned security scenarios in front of government media cameras.

It's worth noting that, despite the presence of numerous CCTV cameras, security authorities never released the complete videos of the route where Armita Garavand was assaulted by the agents.

Meanwhile, in at least one instance, members of Armita's family were arrested. On the evening of Thursday, October 5, 2023, Shahin Ahmadi, Armita's mother, was arrested for 24 hours and taken to Fajr Tehran Hospital after signing a commitment with unclear legal content.

On the morning of Sunday, October 1, 2023, 17-year-old Armita Garavand, originally from Kermanshah and a resident of Tehran, was physically attacked by officers in the "Shohda" subway of Tehran for not observing mandatory hijab. From that time until her tragic death, she remained in a coma at Fajr Hospital in the city under strict security measures.