At least one person was arrested amid a heavy police presence at a traditional memorial marking the 40th day since the death of Iranian teen Armita Garavand, according to human rights activists.
Adhering to Iranian traditions, family and friends convened at the grave to honor the memory of the 17-year-old, who died on October 29 following an alleged incident involving the enforcement of mandatory hijab laws. She collapsed after boarding a Tehran subway train without a hijab, or mandatory Islamic head scarf, on October 1.
One of Garavand's friends said the officers physically assaulted the teen, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway car. She never recovered, succumbing to her injuries after a monthlong coma.
Officials say Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head.
The incident sparked waves of protest across various Iranian cities, including Tehran, Karaj, and Shiraz, where anti-government slogans resounded through the streets at night.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners and the activist HRANA news agency, Ariana Akbari, who lives in Tehran, was reportedly arrested by plainclothes agents during the memorial.
Akbari's current whereabouts, along with the reasons for her detention, remain unknown. Akbari had previously been detained during the nationwide protests in 2022.
The ceremony was heavily overseen by security forces and plainclothes agents of the Islamic republic, a move seen as an effort to stifle any potential protest chants or demonstrations by those in attendance.
The latest event follows a series of crackdowns in Iran, including the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a noted human rights activist, during Gavarand's funeral.
The government's actions have drawn international criticism, with five French unions condemning Iran's escalating use of arrest and execution, highlighting in particular the vulnerability of women under the current regime.
Garavand's case and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities have drawn parallels with the events leading up to the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged hijab violation.
In recent months, Tehran's municipality has deployed agents known as "hijab guards" in Iranian capital's subway to confront women and girls failing to wear the mandatory head scarf.