Iran detains taekwondo coach over acrobatic stunt without hijab VIDEO

Iranian authorities have detained Hanieh Shariati Roudposhti, a taekwondo athlete and gymnastics coach, after she performed acrobatic moves in public without wearing a headscarf, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

The Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights said Shariati was arrested on the night of November 9 and taken to an undisclosed location. An informed source told Hengaw that the arrest was linked to a street performance considered a violation of Iran’s mandatory public dress regulations. She was allowed a brief phone call with her family, but her current whereabouts remain unknown.

Following her detention, Shariati’s social media accounts, including an Instagram page with around 160,000 followers, were seized by security authorities and later disabled with messages linked to Iran’s cyber police.

The arrest comes amid renewed calls from Iranian officials for stricter enforcement of hijab laws. Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad reiterated on November 10 that observing Islamic dress codes is a religious duty and that authorities must act firmly against violations.

Critics say the hijab law has become a symbol of state control over personal freedoms, while supporters defend it as a religious and social obligation.

By Vugar Khalilov