Dramatic moment brave female student in Iran strips off in protest against the dress code

By Richard Ashmore, Senior News Reporter

A brave female student has been filming stripping off down to her underwear to protest against dress code laws in Iran before she was "violently arrested". 

The young woman, who has not yet been named, carried out her daring demonstration walking the streets outside the Islamic Azad University, in Tehran, on November 2.

In the dramatic footage she can be seen at first sitting on a wall in her pants and bra before she begins to walk through a busy crowd.

In Iran, the brutal regime enforces a strict dress code ordering all women to wear a hijab, an item of clothing covering the head, by law.

Most women dress without showing any bare skin on their bodies for fear of being reported by the country's feared 'morality police', who are usually hardline female followers of the Islamic regime. 

The woman wore only her underwear as she walked the street (Image: Amnesty Iran/ X)

Sharing the footage on X, Amnesty Iran said: "Iran’s authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested on November 2 after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials at Tehran's Islamic Azad University.

"Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure access to family and lawyer.

"Allegations of beatings and sexual violence against her during arrest need independent and impartial investigations. Those responsible must held to account."

In 2022 Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died after she was arrested by authorities for 'not wearing her hijab correctly'. Her death sparked global protests and led to more women coming out against the oppressive state. 

In a security crackdown, more than 500 people were killed and 22,000 detained by police. 

Women have died in custody of the authorities for similar protests in Iran (Image: Amnesty Iran/ X)

After this latest protest, Amir Mahjoub, director general of public relations at Islamic Azad University, wrote on X: “Following an indecent act by a student at the science and research branch of the university, campus security intervened and handed the individual over to law enforcement authorities. 

“The motives and underlying reasons for the student’s actions are currently under investigation.”

It's reported during her arrest the woman may have been injured when security forces seized her off the street. According to an Iranian student opposition group the student “disrobed after being harassed for not wearing a headscarf and having her clothing torn by security forces”.

In the newsletter from the group Amir Kabir added that "bloodstains" were seen in the area and that it was thought the girl's head had been struck by a car door or on a concrete pillar.