According to reports, Armita Garawand, the teenage Iranian girl, tragically passed away on Saturday, October 28, following a month-long coma resulting from a contentious incident that occurred on Tehran's subway.
What Had Happened?
The 16-year-old Iranian girl slipped into a coma and received medical care in a heavily guarded hospital following an attack that took place on the Tehran subway.
According to the Kurdish-oriented human rights organisation Hengaw, the young girl sustained severe injuries during an encounter on the Tehran subway with female officers from the morality police.
Hengaw reported that Garawand sustained serious injuries after being detained by officers from the morality police at Tehran's Shohada metro station on October 1. She received medical treatment with stringent security measures at Tehran's Fajr Hospital. The hospital had not allowed permission for visits, including from her family.
Despite residing in Tehran, Garawand originally comes from the Kurdish-majority city of Kermanshah in western Iran, according to Hengaw.
Iranian Authorities' Story
The Iranian authorities had refuted Hengaw's account, asserting that the girl fainted due to low blood pressure and denied any involvement of security forces.
In the meantime, Armita's parents were made to appear on camera to recount the official version of the incident. A video released by the official IRNA news agency features the mother explaining that Armita lost consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure. She mentioned that the teenager was transported to the hospital by ambulance, while her father claimed she was taken in a taxi.
A woman introduced as a relative also appeared in the video, stating that the family had reviewed CCTV footage from the metro station and denied any assault on the teenager.
Notably, the surveillance camera recordings from the Shohada metro station have not been made accessible to the public.
Additionally, the security agencies of the Islamic Republic have imposed strict restrictions on reporting the incident at the subway station.
Reporter's Arrest
Maryam Lotfi, a reporter from Shargh Daily, was detained while conducting an inquiry into the incident. She had visited Fajr Hospital in the capital city to gather information for a news report about the girl who lost consciousness on the subway on October 1, as reported by Shargh.
However, the newspaper, based in Tehran, did not specify which authority had detained Lotfi or provide details regarding the allegations against the journalist.
Metro Authorities' Story
Masoud Dorosti, the CEO of the Tehran Metro Operation Company, informed IRNA that a 16-year-old female student experienced a fainting spell due to low blood pressure at approximately 7 o'clock in the morning.
Dorosti went on to say, "Fellow passengers, including an individual who appeared to be a doctor, assisted the young person off the train. Metro staff promptly administered initial treatment and simultaneously requested assistance from emergency services."
Regarding the possibility of any conflict between metro staff and the student, Dorosti clarified, "There were no verbal or physical altercations between the student, passengers, or metro personnel. Claims of a confrontation between metro personnel and the student are unfounded and are contradicted by security footage from the metro."
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