Jailed Iranian Scholar Released Due to Health Issues

Sedigheh Vasmaghi, an Islamic scholar known for her opposition to the mandatory hijab, has been released from Evin prison following her deteriorating health and allegations of abuse in prison.

According to reports on Monday evening, her release was prompted by the worsening of her illness, which had previously led to her losing sight.

One of the accusations against the Islamic scholar is her public appearance without a mandatory hijab or headscarf. 

Vasmaghi, who removed her headscarf last year in protest against the oppression of women and girls, has declared that she does not view the Islamic Republic's enforced hijab as a religious requirement. She has called the mandatory hijab a futile political maneuver that women will overcome through their resistance.

On Monday, she detailed her distress due to "torture" and lack of medical attention in a letter addressed to the United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran. 

She wrote in the letter, "For more than 40 days, I have been brutally and violently arrested by agents under the order of the leader of the Islamic Republic, on the charge of removing a headscarf. I have endured torture."

In her letter, published by Radio Farda, Vasmaghi recounted her recent detention experience and implored human rights institutions, including the United Nations fact-finding mission, the Human Rights Committee, and the special rapporteur of the organization to stop the Islamic Republic from oppressing women.

Vasmaghi highlighted her experience and the plight of other female prisoners, stressing that security and judicial institutions in Iran deploy various means to pressure political detainees into silence and compliance

The scholar said she was interrogated without legal representation and was returned to Evin while grappling with vision impairment. 

Vasmaghi was arrested by security forces from her home on March 16 and detained at Evin prison. 

She faces charges of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and "public appearance without hijab." 

Her case is being heard by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.