Afghan Social Researcher Deported From Iran Over Hijab Compliance

Iranian authorities have expelled Kobra Gholami, an Afghan social researcher, for allegedly failing to comply with the country's hijab requirements.

Despite possessing valid residency documents, Gholami was summoned to the passport office and subsequently deported to Afghanistan on Thursday.

Her friends and supporters claim the expulsion was without legal basis.

Reports indicate that Gholami received several text messages warning her about her hijab before being called to the passport office. Upon arrival, she was detained by the Iranian police and deported within hours, without the opportunity to communicate with her family.

The incident has sparked an outcry on social media, where users launched a campaign with the hashtag "#BringKobraBack," expressing concern for her well-being and urging her return to Iran.

Shima Va’ezi, an Iranian social media user, highlighted Gholami's sudden deportation on social media platform X, noting, "Kobra is now on the bus and hasn't been able to speak or say goodbye to her family and loved ones. She had all the necessary residency documents and was pursuing a master's degree at Al-Zahra University."

Gholami has previously been an outspoken critic of the treatment of Afghan migrant women in Iran. She addressed these issues at the sixth Social-Cultural Research Conference in Iran last year, where she presented on "Afghan Migrant Women in the Cycle of Oppression" during a panel on "Femininity and Social-Cultural Transformation."