The unnamed cyclist in Najafabad was detained for breaking Islamic law
Wearing a hijab that covers the hair and neck has been compulsory for all women in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, which saw strict dress codes imposed.
In 2016, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa banning women from cycling in public, claiming it “contravenes chastity” by attracting the attention of men.
Several Iranian women have since been arrested for cycling or challenging the mandatory wearing of the hijab. Masih Alinejad, an activist, shared the latest video and footage of similar cycling protests with more than 206,000 followers on Twitter.
Speaking of the Najfabad cyclist, she told The Telegraph: “She was peacefully riding her bicycle with a smile on her face, to enjoy freedom, but now she’s in jail. Right now, many women are in prison because of similar protests against the forced [wearing of the] hijab.
“I call these women the ‘Rosa Parks of Iran’,” she added. “They are imprisoned right now just because of this peaceful civil disobedience. This is beyond sad in the 21st century.”
Ms Alinejad, 44, who is now based in New York, said that her own brother had been arrested in Iran and sentenced to eight years in prison “to punish me for the crime of leading this campaign.”
“But I will only shut down the campaign if women of Iran stop fighting and sending me videos of their civil disobedience.”
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