The violent arrest of a woman over the weekend in western Tehran for her defiance of the mandatory hijab law and for resisting authorities as they impounded her vehicle has highlighted animosity over the government's enforcement of the Islamic dress code.
Video of the woman's arrest, which has gone viral on social media in recent days, shows her being forcefully apprehended by police officers on January 13, who appear to use an electric prod to shock her.
کاربران شبکه‌های مجازی با انتشار این ویدئو نوشته‌اند که در شهرک غرب، زنی به دلیل عدم رعایت حجاب اجباری با این خشونت بازداشت می‌شود.به گزارش دادبان اگرچه به واقع دلیل دستگیری این زن برای دادبان به صراحت مشخص نیست، اما اگر دلیل تلاش برای بازداشت او همانطور که توسط شاهدان عینی… pic.twitter.com/m6BxorMHJv
— دادبان (@dadban4) January 13, 2024
Tehran's police said in a statement the objective of the incident was to impound the woman's vehicle after she was caught defying the hijab law. Police have been conducting vehicle inspections to specifically target compliance with the law.
There have been previous reports of the Iranian police utilizing city-wide CCTV cameras to identify women who violate the mandatory hijab law and subsequently impound their vehicles.
Iranian journalist Elahe Ebrahimi earlier this month reported a similar incident, saying plainclothes officers had attempted to impound her vehicle for an alleged hijab infraction. When she objected, she said they threatened her by revealing their "holstered weapons."
Several Iranians have questioned whether there are the legal grounds for police to take such actions, arguing that vehicle impoundment for noncompliance with the hijab law contradicts the existing laws of the Islamic republic.
The hijab, or Islamic head scarf, became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities.
Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.
Activists have launched campaigns against the discriminatory law, although many have been pressured by the state and forced to leave the country for safety reasons.
Tensions have boiled over in Iran over the hijab law since the death of Mahsa Amini death while in police custody in September 2022.
Amini's death, which came just days after her detention in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, led to nationwide protests and hundreds of demonstrators' deaths across the country.
Despite lasting public anger, parliament approved an updated version of the law around the anniversary of Amini's death that included harsher penalties for violations, including prison sentences of up to 10 years.
In late October, outrage boiled over again after another young woman died following an alleged encounter with "morality" enforcers earlier that month in a Tehran subway car.
Armita Garavand, 17, died after falling into a coma after the alleged confrontation on October 1. Some reports have suggested she was assaulted by the morality police, while others have said hijab guards were responsible.