Teenager's funeral draws crowds. She was beaten for not wearing a hijab
The brutal beating of 16-year-old Armita Geravand has sent shockwaves around the world. The teenager was reportedly beaten to death by the morality police for not wearing a head covering. Moving footage from the young woman's funeral has emerged online, showing that authorities did not permit her burial in her hometown.
2:03 PM EDT, October 30, 2023
Armita Geravand was allegedly assaulted by the police in early October. Media reports suggest that the teenager entered the Shohada metro station in Tehran. While authorities claim that Armita fainted during the journey due to low blood pressure, opposition sources assert that she was attacked by the so-called morality police.
An apparent reason for the altercation was that the 16-year-old was not wearing a hijab to cover her head. This is evidently captured in the final footage from the surveillance cameras at the station. Under Iranian law, women are obligated to cover their hair in public arenas.
An argument with the police supposedly led one of the officers to push the teenager, causing her to hit her head on a post. This serious injury resulted in placing Armita Geravand into a three-week coma before she sadly passed away from her injuries.
Fearing public protests, Iranian authorities secured the medical facility where the teenager was being treated. They confiscated all phones belonging to her family and friends. In an unprecedented move, authorities decided to hold Armita's funeral in Tehran, away from her hometown. On the eve of the funeral, some Iranians courageously chanted their opposition to the regime, a risky act that carries severe repercussions.
Videos from the funeral are emerging online. The footage reveals crowds of women in black clothing and a group of men carrying the 16-year-old's casket. Reports suggest that a considerable number of people attended to bid farewell to Armita on her final journey.
The Masha Amini Case
This is not the first high-profile instance of a woman allegedly murdered by Iranian police officers. In September 2022, 22-year-old Masha Amini was arrested by the morality police. Her supposed offense was wearing her hijab incorrectly in a way that left some of her hair exposed.
Authorities later claimed that the young woman fainted while in custody, but her family alleges that she was beaten by officers. Masha Amini died after three days in hospital. Her death ignited a wave of protests that were forcefully suppressed by the Iranian services. The unprecedented scale of resistance was met with harsh and brutal responses from the police.
In response to these human rights violations, the European Union has imposed sanctions on the Iranian regime.
