- Iranian teenager Armita Geravand is 'brain dead': state media

Iranian state media reported on Sunday that a teenage Iranian girl, who fell into a coma earlier this month after an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country’s hijab law, is said to be “brain dead”. This information was first made public by rights groups such as Kurdish-Iranian Hengaw, who shared photos of the unconscious 16-year-old girl on social media. The pictures showed her on life support with a respiratory tube and bandage over her head. However, RushHourDaily could not independently verify the authenticity of these images. State media further reported that despite the efforts of the medical staff, Geravand’s condition of being brain dead seems certain. Concerns have been raised by rights advocates that she might face a similar fate as Mahsa Amini, whose death in the custody of morality police last year led to widespread anti-government protests. Iran has denied that Geravand was injured during the confrontation with officers enforcing the mandatory Islamic dress code. Since the popular revolution in 1979, Iran’s theocratic establishment has imposed restrictions on women’s dress, requiring them to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes. Violators of the dress code face public rebuke, fines, or arrest. However, more women have been defying these restrictions and appearing unveiled in public places since Amini’s death.