The student, identified on social media as Ahoo Daryaei, was transferred from a police station to a treatment facility, though no specific details regarding her treatment plan were provided
News Desk
TEHRAN: A young Iranian woman who stripped to her underwear at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University on Saturday is not viewed as a security threat but rather as a “troubled individual” receiving care, a government spokesperson stated in the first official response to the incident.
The act, captured and shared widely across social media, was seen by many as a protest against Iran’s rigid Islamic dress code, sparking discussions about personal freedoms and mental health in the country. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, speaking on Tuesday, emphasized that the situation is being addressed as a social, rather than security, issue. “We are approaching this matter from a social perspective, aiming to support this student as a troubled individual in need of help,” Mohajerani remarked.
According to Mohajerani, the student, identified on social media as Ahoo Daryaei, was transferred from a police station to a treatment facility, though no specific details regarding her treatment plan were provided. “It is premature to discuss her return to university. Her husband has indicated that she requires treatment, which must be completed before any further steps are taken,” Mohajerani added on the government’s website. Daryaei was reportedly detained by security guards following the incident.
University spokesperson Amir Mahjob also addressed the situation on social media platform X, stating that Daryaei had exhibited signs of “severe mental distress” and had been found to have a “mental disorder” during her time in custody.
The incident comes amid a broader backdrop of defiance from Iranian women, who have increasingly discarded their veils following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman detained by the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules. Amini’s death ignited widespread protests, which were met with a harsh crackdown by security forces. 2
