A 16-year-old Iranian girl, Armita Geravand, fell into a coma earlier this month after an alleged encounter with officers regarding Iran’s hijab law. Iranian state media has now reported that she is “brain dead”.
Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw was the first to bring Geravand’s hospitalization to public attention. They shared photos of the unconscious teenager on social media, showing her connected to a respirator with a bandage on her head, clearly on life support. It’s important to note that Reuters couldn’t independently verify these images.
According to state media, updates on Geravand’s health indicate that she is confirmed to be in a state of brain death, despite the efforts of the medical staff.
This incident has raised concerns among human rights advocates, as there are fears that Geravand might meet a similar fate to Mahsa Amini. Amini’s tragic death while in the custody of morality police last year triggered widespread nationwide protests against the government, presenting a significant challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership.
