Woman who removed hijab during Iran protests arrested, whereabouts unknown
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A woman who became an iconic symbol of the recent country-wide protests in Iran after she was filmed waving her hijab (headscarf) on a stick was reportedly arrested, but her whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
The woman, who was nicknamed the “Girl of Enghelab Street,” is a 31-year-old who is a mother to a 20-month-old baby, Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh told AFP.
Sotoudeh added that the female protester had been arrested on Dec. 27, the first day of the anti-government protests in Iran.
“Our investigations confirm that the young woman, whose name we still do not know, was arrested on that very same day,” she wrote on Facebook. “She was released shortly afterward but was arrested once again.”
Sotoudeh said she received her information from “witnesses on the scene who saw her being taken away—and even accompanied her to the police station.”
Last week, social media users around the world used the hashtag “#WhereIsShe” to protest the 31-year-olds detention.
People in #Iran are asking for the whereabouts of the woman who took off her #hijab to protest the mandatory Islamic dress code using the hashtags #دختر_خیابان_انقلاب_کجاست and #Where_Is_She
— Armin Navabi (@ArminNavabi) January 18, 2018
She was reportedly arrested shortly after. #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/G6oKHIPA68
The hijab-less woman received international fame as videos of her removing her headscarf and waving it on a stick went viral during the Iranian protests where at least 20 people were killed and hundreds arrested.
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, women in Iran have been forced to cover their hair and dress modestly in public places.
Those who violate Iran’s Islamic legal code could face up to two months in prison, according to Sotoudeh.
“Women feel they have no control over their bodies,” she explained. “It is a prelude to infringing on all of their rights.”