An Iranian woman who stripped to her underwear in an apparent protest against the country’s mandatory hijab laws at a Tehran university will not face charges, authorities have announced.
Ahoo Daryaei, whose actions were captured in a viral video earlier this month, undressed on the campus of Islamic Azad University following an altercation with security agents over her refusal to wear a headscarf. She was subsequently detained.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said Daryaei was hospitalized and has since been released to her family.
“Considering that she was sent to the hospital, and it was found that she was ill, she was handed over to her family… and no judicial case has been filed against her,” he stated.
The incident, which drew international condemnation, was shared online by a student movement organization. Amnesty International was among those demanding her immediate release.
Iranian authorities claimed Daryaei was “sick” and had been taken to a psychiatric ward, a narrative activists say is commonly used to discredit women who challenge Iran’s strict hijab laws.
Azam Jangravi, an activist who fled Iran after being sentenced to prison for removing her headscarf, told BBC Persian, “This is how the Islamic Republic tries to discredit women, by questioning their mental health.”
The mandatory hijab law, introduced after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has faced widespread protests, most notably after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Amini died in police custody after being detained for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly,” sparking nationwide unrest that reportedly claimed over 500 lives.
The arrest and release of Daryaei have reignited global scrutiny of Iran’s treatment of women and its enforcement of hijab laws. Activists continue to demand reforms, calling for an end to the oppression of women under the guise of morality laws.
