A recent article in The Lancet Psychiatry raises urgent concerns over the involuntary hospitalisation of a young Iranian student after she protested against the country’s mandatory hijab laws. Authored by Prof. Danuta Wasserman (WPA President), Prof. Thomas G. Schulze (WPA President-Elect), and Profs. Daniela Dörfler, Thomas Wenzel, and Siroos Mirzaei, the piece denounces the use of psychiatric institutions as tools of political repression.
The article details the case of a student at Tehran's Azad University who was reportedly harassed by morality guards for improperly wearing her hijab. In protest, she removed some of her clothing and staged a silent demonstration. Shortly after, she was forcibly committed to a psychiatric clinic—despite the absence of any legitimate psychiatric diagnosis related to hijab rejection.
The authors draw parallels between this case and historical abuses of psychiatry for political control, such as the Soviet-era practice of institutionalizing dissidents under fabricated diagnoses. They call for an independent investigation into the incident and urge the global psychiatric community to stand against such violations of medical ethics and human rights.
The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) remains committed to protecting ethical medical practices and advocating for human rights in mental health care.
Read the full article in The Lancet Psychiatry here.