An Iranian student was arrested Saturday for taking off her clothes in protest as she was attacked by ethics police at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Authorities reprimanded the young woman, saying she was not wearing a hijab.

A video making the rounds online showing the student wearing only her underwear sitting in the university’s courtyard has gone viral on Iranian social media.

A university official later confirmed her arrest. “Following the student’s obscene act at the university’s Department of Science and Research, campus security intervened and handed the person over to law enforcement authorities,” Amir Mahjoub, general director of public relations at the Islamic University of Azad, wrote on X. “The motives and underlying reasons for the student’s actions are being investigated.”

On the same day, Amir Kabir Newsletter, a student Telegram group, reported details of the incident, saying the student was left in only her underwear after being harassed for not wearing a headscarf while her clothes were torn off by security forces.

Since the emergence of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran, sparkedby the death of Mahsha Amini in September 2022, while in police custody for hijab violations, hardliners have stepped up efforts to impose strict dress codes on women.

Despite public opposition, government measures to strengthen mandatory enforcement of hijab laws have escalated, resulting in the closure of businesses and impoundment of vehicles related to hijab violations.

Project Noor, launched on April 13 to enforce hijab regulations, has led to a noticeable increase in the presence of police forces, Basij paramilitary units, and plainclothes officers in public places.

In addition, universities such as Azad University in Tehran have adopted facial recognition technology at entrance gates, denying access to students whose appearance does not obey strict hijab laws.

During his election campaign, Iranian President Massoud Pezzekian denounced the proposed hijab legislation as a “project of obscurantism” and pledged to end the measure.

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