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Girl 'brain dead' after being attacked by Iran police for not wearing hijab
Armita Geravand: The girl was in critical condition after falling into a coma following what two activists said was a confrontation with agents in Tehran metro.
A teenage Iranian girl, who fell into a coma earlier this month following an alleged encounter with police officers, is said to be "brain dead", Iranian state media reported. "Follow-ups on the latest health condition of Armita Geravand indicate that her health condition as brain dead seems certain despite the efforts of the medical staff," the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network said.
The girl was in critical condition in hospital after falling into a coma following what two prominent rights activists said was a confrontation with agents in the Tehran metro for violating the country's strict hijab law. Armita Geravand's case is highly sensitive as the 16-year-old might face the same fate as Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl whose death in the custody of morality police sparked months of nationwide protests.
Iranian-Kurdish rights group Hengaw then said, “We are following her case closely. She is in coma at Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and her condition is critical ... her relatives said there is a heavy presence of plain clothes at the hospital.”
Read more: Video: Girl dragged from train as Iran police attack her for not wearing hijab
CCTV footage had then showed Armita Geravand without hijab accompanied by two female friends walking toward the train from the metro platform. An Iranian journalist was briefly arrested when she went to the hospital to inquire about Armita Geravand's situation, it was reported.
"Iranian security institutions have said her condition was caused by low pressure - an oft-repeated scenario from such institutions," Iran-based rights group Dadban said.
The girl's parents said that their daughter had suffered a drop in blood pressure, lost her balance, and hit her head inside the metro cabin.
"I think my daughter's blood pressure dropped, I am not too sure, I think they have said her pressure dropped," her mother said.
