TEHERAN – Armita Geravand, a 16-year-old Iranian girl, has died following an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country’s hijab law, the official Irna news agency reported on Saturday.

“Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago,” Irna reported.

Armita had been pronounced brain-dead last Sunday after she fell into a coma on Oct 1.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police in September 2022 sparked months of anti-government protests that spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to the Iranian authorities in years.

Rights groups were the first to make Armita’s hospitalisation public, posting photographs on social media that showed her unconscious and on life support, with a respiratory tube and her head bandaged. Reuters could not verify the pictures.

Iran has denied that Armita was hurt after a confrontation on Oct 1 with officers enforcing the mandatory Islamic dress code in the Teheran metro.

Women are required by law to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes in Iran, where the secular and Western-backed Shah was deposed in a revolution in 1979.

Violators face public rebuke, fines or arrest. But, defying the strict Islamic dress code, more women have been appearing unveiled in public places such as restaurants and shops since Ms Amini’s death. REUTERS