Iranian woman shot by police over hijab

Iran’s state security forces have forced 31-year-old Arezou Badri, who was shot by police for allegedly violating hijab rules, to give a coerced confession despite her critical condition in hospital, Iran International has learned.

Badri, who is hospitalized with severe injuries to her spine and lungs, was pressured into confessing while in extreme pain, unable to sit or eat. Sources revealed that Badri, who broke down in tears from pain multiple times during the forced confession, was threatened by security agents and coerced into a video interview. 

The agents also forced her close family members, including her sister, to make coerced confessions. Badri was shot on July 22 while returning home with her sister in Nour County, northern Mazandaran Province.

Reports reveal that police opened fire from the rear driver's side of the car stopped on a dirt road, striking Arezou Badri in the back and severely damaging her spinal cord and lungs.

Despite this development, President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had promised during his election campaign to stop hijab patrols and violence against women for violations, has remained silent on the incident, amid growing calls on social media for him to address it.

Iranian authorities have long been notorious for using forced confessions as a tactic to silence dissent and push their narrative. These confessions, often extracted under duress or torture, are frequently broadcast on state media to cover up abuses and justify harsh crackdowns.