The incident occurred on November 2, 2024, in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on the campus of the Islamic Azad University. The girl was seen in her underwear. Soon, photos of this event went viral worldwide, and it was suggested that it was a protest against women's freedom in Iran. Security personnel detained Ahu Darraei after the video surfaced.
According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, after almost one year and nine months, it is unknown what happened to Ahu Darraei. This publication appeared during a period when Iran is trying to recover from attacks by the US, Israel, and other parties.
According to the report, while Ahu was climbing the university stairs, her hijab slipped off her head. She was busy talking on the phone and did not notice. Then, it is alleged, she was surrounded by the morality police. A close friend of Ahu told the Daily Mail that male officers reprimanded her and began dragging her into a room designated for punishing female students.
The friend said that because she was being dragged, her clothes started to tear. In desperation, Ahu removed her clothes and began walking in the university courtyard only in her underwear. After some time, she sat by a wall, whereupon security personnel detained her and placed her in a van.
The Daily Mail report, citing the friend, claims that in the van, Ahu's head was pressed between the legs of a female officer, causing her difficulty breathing. To breathe, she allegedly cut the officer's arm. Afterward, she was supposedly given a sedative at the police station. First, the needles broke, and after the medication was administered, she lost consciousness.
When Ahu regained consciousness, her limbs were tied to a hospital bed, and she did not know where she was. Every time she tried to contact her family or get information, she was given medication again to make her lose consciousness. During this time, she was interrogated, during which she was accused of attempting to flee Iran and seek asylum in another country.
Ahu was declared 'mentally ill'. She was released from the hospital after 18 days. Her friend claims that officials pressured her family and ex-husband, after which they tried to portray her as mentally ill. Upon release, she was warned about the need to remain under surveillance and the possibility of phone monitoring. She was prescribed antipsychotic medication, and now doctors inject her with flupentixol monthly, which is typically used for conditions such as schizophrenia.
According to her friend, the family fears that if Ahu stops taking the injections, she will be placed in a psychiatric hospital again. According to the Daily Mail, 32-year-old Ahu is currently studying textiles at another university.
International organizations also reacted to this incident. Amnesty International demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Ahu, stating that she acted in protest against repressive dress codes for women. Iranian activists in the UK also held demonstrations in her support, protesting in Parliament Square in London, dressed in underwear and red clothing.
Meanwhile, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani refused to acknowledge the accusations of violence during Ahu's arrest and denied any connection between the incident and dress codes. She stated that the matter concerned something else, and such a degree of nudity in public places is unacceptable.
Ahu Darraei's life changed completely after that incident. Her video from November 2024 is still available online and has become an example of the global discussion on personal freedom, women's rights, and state control in Iran.
