40th Day After Teenage Girl’s Death Marked in Tehran Amid Tight Security

A ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand was held at Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery on December 6 amid heavy security presence.

After the ceremony, authorities apprehended a Tehran resident named Ariana Akbari and took him to an undisclosed location. 

Akbari had previously been detained during nationwide protests that rocked Iran last year.

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Armita fell unconscious on the platform of a Tehran metro station on October 1 after being assaulted for not wearing a mandatory headscarf. She was taken to a hospital where she remained in a coma for 28 days. 

Anti-government chants could be heard across Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz and other Iranian cities on the evening of her death. 

During Armita’s October 29 burial, authorities assaulted mourners and arrested dozens of people, including prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. 

Security forces have prevented the Geravand family and friends from speaking to the media, while journalists have faced reprisals for reporting on the teenager’s situation.