The public remains in the dark as the regime continues to cover up the truth and restrict access to Armita Geravand or her family
The Iranian state media, including the state-run Tasnim news agency, the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), Borna news agency, and others announced on Sunday, October 22, 2023, that Armita Geravand seemed certain to be “brain dead.”
IRINN reported that “follow-ups on the latest health condition of Armita Geravand indicate that her health condition as brain dead seems certain despite the efforts of the medical staff.”
The news was followed by contradicting reports from other sources.
The Norway-based Hengaw group that first reported on Armita Geravand cited an interview with her father, Bahman Geravand, who said, “Armita’s medical team has informed us that her brain is no longer functioning, and there is no hope of recovery.”
However, Radio Farda, the Persian branch of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), cited two members of Armita’s family on the same day, October 22, who denied her being “brain dead.” But they added, “Nothing could be done for her at this stage,” and “everything is in the hands of God.”
Both family members expressed “hope that she would return.” They said the medical team had assured them, “that if Armita was brain dead, they would not have taken care of her until today.”
Yet other unverified reports said the devices were disconnected from her at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 22, and she was transferred to the morgue. Her family was told to be prepared for her burial. Intelligence services are allegedly putting pressure on her family with regard to the place of burial.
What happened to Armita Geravand?
Armita Geravand was allegedly attacked by Hijab Guards in Tehran’s metro subway on Sunday, October 1, 2023, according to eyewitnesses cited by The Guardian.
Armita’s head was bleeding when her friends pulled her out of the subway carriage. After 45 minutes, an ambulance took her to the Air Force Fajr Hospital, swarmed by security forces and plainclothes agents.
A Sharq Daily reporter, Maryam Lotfi, who went to the hospital to prepare a report on this incident was detained for several hours.
The clerical regime published a doctored video of the CCTV cameras in the metro, but not the footage from the camera inside the metro wagon.
The official narrative is that Armita fainted in the subway carriage because she had skipped breakfast, and had a sudden drop in blood pressure. The authorities say there was no altercation in the metro station with Armita.
The regime’s official news agency, IRNA, interviewed her parents and friends who confirmed that she had fainted. A woman accompanying Armita’s parents in their first interview was later identified as a member of the IRGC Bassij, posing as a relative.
The parents were not allowed to visit Armita, and her mother who attempted to do so, was temporarily arrested. They were only allowed a glimpse of their daughter in the ICU.
Armita has remained in Fajr Hospital in Tehran under a tight security presence.
The regime even changed her room and all the medical staff caring for her after a picture was leaked out of the hospital, presumably by one of the staff.
Vital signs allegedly declined on October 11
On October 11, 2023, an official website affiliated with the clerical regime’s Ministry of Sports and Youths announced that the relatively steady vital signs of Armita Geravand had changed over the past few days and her condition had deteriorated to some extent.
The report by the state-run BORNA news agency, which was removed after being published, indicated that the efforts of the medical team to help the 16-year-old student recover continue.
Despite the report’s removal, some state media, including khabaronline.ir and hamshahrionline.ir published the news citing BORNA news.
According to social media reports, the medical team caring for Armita Geravand has told security forces based in the Fajr Hospital that since she no longer has any reactions or vital signs, she was most definitely brain dead.
They said her continued connection to medical devices is no longer justified, and her family should be informed that she is brain dead, which means she has died.
In reaction to this news, Ms. Sarvnaz Chitsaz, the chair of the NCRI Women’s Committee, said, “The state-run websites report on the deterioration of Armita Geravand’s condition could be a preparation for announcing her death. It is surprising, however, that the regime did not officially give any specific information about the condition of 16-year-old Armita until Wednesday night, October 11, while they said she had been in a coma since a week before.
“Clearly, the regime has a specific scenario for covering up the truth about Armita, considering the experience of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini. Notably, the regime has evaded giving a clear answer even to the representatives and officials of the United Nations.”
Mounting evidence of an official cover-up
On October 4, the NCRI President-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi urged the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women to promptly inquire about Armita’s condition and dispatch a representative to visit the innocent girl before it becomes too late.
She said, “If the clerical regime has nothing to hide in the case of 16-year-old Armita Geravand…, why are they surrounding the hospital and preventing independent journalists from gaining access?”
Amnesty International issued a call on Friday, October 6, urging an independent investigation into what happened to Geravand, saying there was “mounting evidence of a cover-up by the authorities.”
Amnesty said it had analyzed footage published by Iranian media that purportedly shows there was no altercation and found that the footage has been edited, the frame rate increased and over three minutes of footage is missing.
Amnesty said it had “serious concerns” that Geravand’s family and friends “have been forced to appear in propaganda videos and reiterate the state narrative under duress and threats of reprisals.”
Iranian regime wary of protests in the wake of Armita’s death
Armita Geravand has not undergone any operations since being admitted to Fajr Hospital on October 1, 2023, as her condition was deemed too fragile.
Speculations are that she was brain dead from the outset, otherwise, why did the authorities prevent any access to Armita, by her parents, friends, or journalists? Why was the hospital placed under a heavy security blockade?
The Iranian regime is worried that the news of Armita Geravand’s death could revive nationwide protests similar to the ones sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of “morality police” in September last year that continued for months.
By disseminating conflicting reports, the regime attempts to reduce society’s sensitivity to this issue and prevent the eruption of public outrage.
The NCRI Women’s Committee renews the Iranian Resistance’s call for an independent investigation by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women to find out the truth.
