A few days ago, disturbing news surfaced, claiming that Armita Garawand, a 16-year-old girl in Iran, was allegedly beaten up by Iran’s Morality Police at a subway station in Tehran. The incident, which occurred on October 1, 2023, was said to be a result of her not wearing a hijab. This claim sparked outrage and drew comparisons to previous incidents involving women’s rights in Iran, such as the case of Mahsa Amini.
The misleading or uninformed news was shared by many, the main ones being @ajaychauhan41, @TreyYingst, @nytimes, @chelseahartisme, @matteosalvinimi, @sarahraviani, @IranAnalyst_ [Tweet Deleted], and @nytimes.
The CCTV Footage Discrepancy
Misleading information began to circulate when a CCTV video from a subway station in Tehran showed an unconscious girl being removed from a train at a platform. It was claimed that this girl was Armita Garawand and that she had been left in a coma after an altercation with the Morality Police of Iran. The reason cited for the assault was an improper hijab.
The reason for the assault was mentioned as an improper hijab. The fact is that the Tehran subway company has released CCTV footage from the moment the girl enters the station till she is taken to hospital. In the video, she is seen as normal without having any problem (2/4) pic.twitter.com/pJC9l9GRLx
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) October 5, 2023
However, Iran-based news channel Press TV reveals that the Tehran subway company released CCTV footage that covers the entire sequence of events from the moment Armita Garawand entered the station to her transportation to the hospital. In the video, she appears perfectly normal, walking into the station with friends. According to her friends, she boarded the train as usual but suddenly fainted and fell backwards, hitting her head on the platform. Concerned station staff immediately assisted her and called for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. The incident, as shown by the CCTV footage, had nothing to do with Iran’s Morality Police.
Armita Garawand’s Condition
Armita Garawand, a 16-year-old girl, found herself in a dire situation when she fell unconscious on a train at a metro station in Tehran. Eyewitnesses initially reported that she had been violently pushed by a metro hijab enforcer for not wearing the hijab. The Kurdish-focused rights group Hengaw further amplified this claim, stating that she was badly injured during a confrontation.
However, the state news agency IRNA offered a different perspective. According to IRNA, Armita Garawand fainted due to low blood pressure. This discrepancy in reports adds to the confusion surrounding the incident. It is important to note that while the cause of Armita Garawand’s fainting is still uncertain, the evidence from the CCTV footage does not support the claim that she was assaulted by Iran’s Morality Police for her hijab, as some reports initially suggested.
Adding to the complexity of this situation, Iran’s security forces have taken action by arresting Armita Garawand’s mother. This development, though concerning, is not directly related to the incident involving Armita at the subway station. The reasons behind the arrest and its connection, if any, to the incident remain unclear.
Intent & Conclusion
It is essential to address the intent behind the misleading information that has been circulated regarding this incident. Some influencers and anti-Iran media outlets, particularly from Western countries, have projected the incident as being similar to the case of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who faced severe consequences for removing her hijab in public. However, our fact-check analysis demonstrates that the two cases are distinct, and attempts to draw parallels between them are false and baseless.
In conclusion, the claim that Armita Garawand was beaten up by Iran’s Morality Police at a subway station due to her hijab is not supported by the available evidence. CCTV footage from the station reveals that she fainted suddenly and was promptly attended to by station staff. While there is still uncertainty about the cause of her fainting, it is crucial to base our conclusions on verified information. The arrest of Armita Garawand’s mother adds an additional layer of complexity to the situation, but its exact connection to the incident remains unclear.
Claim: A 16-year-old girl, Armita Garawand was assaulted by the Morality Police of Iran for not wearing a hijab at a subway station in Tehran.
Fact: The available evidence, including CCTV footage, does not support this claim. Armita Garawand fainted and was assisted by station staff, with the cause of her fainting still under investigation.
