Amnesty International calls for immediate release of Iranian student arrested in dress code protest

Amnesty International is urging Iranian authorities to release Ahoo Daryaei, a university student allegedly “violently arrested” on November 2 after she stripped down to her underwear in an apparent protest against harassment by university security forces for not wearing a headscarf.

The human rights organization claims that Daryaei was demonstrating against the enforcement of compulsory veiling policies by security personnel at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University. Video footage of the incident, initially shared by the Amir Kabir newsletter, has circulated widely on human rights platforms, including the Hengaw Organization and Amnesty International. The footage shows a woman sitting undressed by a staircase in an outdoor area of the university, later walking on the sidewalk and crossing the street before being surrounded by security forces and seemingly pushed into a car.

Amnesty has called for Daryaei’s protection from “torture and ill-treatment” while in custody, demanding that she receive immediate access to legal representation and contact with her family. The organization is also pressing for an independent investigation into reported allegations of physical abuse and sexual violence during her arrest, stating that “those responsible must be held to account.”