The female engineer whose video protesting the mandatory hijab at the Tehran Engineers Forum went viral on social media last week has expressed her "regret" in a video many of her supporters allege was made under duress.
In the video published on social media on February 17, the woman identified as Zeinab Kazemi was protesting against the nonapproval of her qualifications for the Tehran Engineering Organization due to noncompliance with the hijab law. She then threw her headscarf on the stage and left.
Kazemi's action was met with widespread approval on social media with many praising her courage amid a wave of unrest sparked by the death in September of Mahsa Amini while in custody after being detained by police for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly.
A day later, on February 18, a media outlet close to the IRGC announced a legal case had been filed against Kazemi, accusing her of "insulting the hijab."
In a video published on February 22, Kazemi expressed her "regret" for her actions onstage and said that it happened "as a result of psychological pressure caused by improper dealings with engineers."
Iranian authorities have gained notoriety for forcing several protesters to make similar "apologies" on video, prompting many social media users to question its authenticity.
The hijab -- the head covering worn by Muslim women -- became compulsory in public for Iranian women and girls over the age of 9 after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Many Iranian women have flouted the rule over the years in protest and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.
Long-simmering tensions boiled over after the 22-year-old Amini died, with Iranians flooding streets across the country in protest. Women and even schoolgirls have put up unprecedented shows of defiance in the unrest, one of the biggest threats to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
In response, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on dissent, detaining thousands and handing down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters. Rights groups say more than 500 people have died in the protests.