It is yet unclear if Iran student Ahou Daryaei is dead or alive after her video went viral
A social media footage of a young woman reportedly stripped down to her underpants on Saturday at the Islamic Azad University in protest of Iran’s rigid Islamic dress code.
The video, which was first shared by the Iranian student publication Amir Kabir Newsletter, depicts the woman being held by security personnel at Islamic Azad University. Since then, Persian-language news outlets like Amnesty International, IranWire, and the Hengaw rights group have spread it.
Is Iran student Ahou Daryaei dead or alive as death rumors go viral after video showing her stripping to protest against improrer hijab
Her life is in danger.
Ahoo Daryaei is the student who took off her clothes in protest against the mysogeny and oppression of the vice police of the ayatollahs.
They arrested her and she has been missing ever since.Where is Ahoo Daryaei ?
We demand her immediate release.… pic.twitter.com/4pq5Bil9ze— Darya Safai MP (@SafaiDarya) November 3, 2024
While the name of the girl hasn’t been officially revealed, according to reports on social media platforms, she’s 30 year old Ahou Daryaei meaning deer of the sea who is a Muslim by religion, a PHD candidate in French language and literature at the Islamic Azad University. It is being claimed that the Iran government has now kept her in a psychiatric hospital near Tehran where many political prisoners are kept for punishment. While some reports claim she has been executed by the Iranian government and is dead, these are not verified as of now with her whereabouts not officially confirmed at the moment.
According to media reports, the young woman at an Iranian university named Islamic Azad University in Tehran descended to her underwear in a remarkable show of disobedience that has garnered international notice in protest of the nation’s rigid Islamic dress code. The event, which took place at the Islamic Azad University on Saturday, was caught on camera and extensively shared on social media.
Social media users shared a video of the unnamed woman being detained by security personnel.
🚨 BREAKING- We are witnessing one of the most powerful revolutions in history.
Ahoo Daryaei (آهو_دریایی), a courageous student at Tehran’s Science and Research University removed her clothes on campus in a fearless act of defiance after enduring harassment and assault by… pic.twitter.com/yLfdIW1nf9
— Daughters of Persia (@fightforpersia) November 3, 2024
According to the reports, the student’s protest video seemed to have been captured by bystanders in a nearby building. In another video, she was seen being loaded into a car by males and taken to an unknown place.
Additionally, the student was allegedly assaulted while being arrested, according to the claims.
Response from Islamic Azad University and netizens
“At the police station… it was found that she was under severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder,” university spokeswoman Amir Mahjob revealed on X.
Although the woman’s current state is unknown, “an informed source” told Hamshahri Daily that she might be moved to a psychiatric facility. According to the Amir Kabir weekly, she was assaulted while being arrested. The rights organization has called for her protection after documenting alleged abuse of women in Iranian prisons.
“For most women, being out in public in their underwear is one of their worst nightmares,” wrote Lei La on X. “This is a reaction to the authorities’ insistence on the mandatory hijab.”
In response to the reports, Amnesty International called on Iranian authorities to unconditionally free the student on Saturday.
.@HabibKhanT: This iconic photo is now part of Iranian history, capturing the deep frustration of women with the regime—a powerful statement against repression.
Her name is Ahoo Daryaei, meaning Deer of the Sea #AhouDaryaei #AhooDaryaei #WomenLifeFreedom pic.twitter.com/NYdMf2HHzT pic.twitter.com/7MuVNsp5Ds
— Willem J. Bod (@WillemBod) November 3, 2024
“Iran’s authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials,” Amnesty International said in a post on X.