{"id":18867,"date":"2023-10-28T14:55:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T14:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/iran-teen-dies-month-after-tehran-metro-incident-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-10-28T14:55:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T14:55:30","slug":"iran-teen-dies-month-after-tehran-metro-incident-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/iran-teen-dies-month-after-tehran-metro-incident-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran teen dies month after Tehran metro incident | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nTEHRAN:
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An Iranian high school student died on Saturday, nearly a month after falling into a coma in disputed circumstances on the Tehran metro, media in the Islamic republic said.<\/p>\n

“Armita Garawand, a student in Tehran, died an hour ago after intensive medical treatment and 28 days of hospitalisation in intensive care,” reported the Borna news agency affiliated with the youth ministry.<\/p>\n

The 17-year-old ethnic Kurd, who was declared “brain dead” a week ago, had been hospitalised at Fajr Hospital in Tehran since October 1 after she fell unconscious on the metro.<\/p>\n

The circumstances of the incident have been disputed, with metro surveillance footage, which had been broadcast on state television, showing the unveiled teenager being evacuated after fainting in a carriage.<\/p>\n

It came just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini, also a young Iranian Kurd, following her arrest by morality police for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict dress code for women, in an incident that sparked mass protests across the Islamic republic.<\/p>\n

During the months-long demonstrations, several hundred people were killed, including dozens of security forces, and thousands were arrested.<\/p>\n

Seven men were also hanged over their links with the “riots” — the term Iranian officials use to describe the protests.<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0Iranian teen’s family say ‘no hope for recovery’ after metro incident<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Since last year’s mass protests, women have been increasingly flouting the dress code, which requires head coverings and modest clothes.<\/p>\n

But authorities have also sought to sharpen penalties on those seen to be violating the code, which has been in place since 1983, following Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.<\/p>\n

Garawand’s case was first reported on October 3 by Kurdish-focused rights group Hengaw, which said she had been critically wounded during an incident on the underground train network.<\/p>\n

Authorities say she suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure and denied that any “physical or verbal altercations” had taken place between her and other passengers.<\/p>\n

But rights groups have said the teen was critically wounded during an alleged assault by female members of Iran’s morality police.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted doctors as saying that Garawand had “suffered a fall resulting in brain damage followed by continued convulsions, a decline in brain oxygen and a cerebral oedema after a sudden drop in blood pressure”.<\/p>\n

Read:\u00a0Iranian girl in critical condition after alleged encounter over hijab, activists say<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The reformist daily Ham Mihan called on the authorities to “allow independent media to investigate” the incident in order to persuade the public.<\/p>\n

MP Ahmad Alirezabeigi on Wednesday described the incident as “important” and called on the legislature to “question the minister of interior” over the events.<\/p>\n

On October 8, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the authorities had investigated the incident and that the “situation was completely clear”.<\/p>\n

“The enemies do not want the country to be calm and they always try to make every incident a controversy,” he charged.<\/p>\n

Iran has stepped up measures over the past few months against women and businesses who breach the hijab rules.<\/p>\n

In September, lawmakers voted in favour of toughening the penalties, which include jail sentences of up to 10 years for women who violate the dress code.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n