Sonia Sharifi, the 17-year-old who once symbolized defiance against the Iranian regime, has reported being abducted and subjected to torture by Iranian security forces for the second time. Her image standing atop a car with raised hands became an emblem of resistance during the violent crackdown on protests that swept through Iran in December of the preceding year.

After her initial release from Iranian detention, marked by celebrations in her hometown of Abdanan, where protests had been ongoing for four months, Sonia’s recent ordeal has sparked outrage once again. In an image she shared online, a head wound she sustained is visible, allegedly inflicted by Iranian security forces during her latest detention. She recounted being dragged from her car, blindfolded, and subsequently abducted and assaulted.

The human rights monitoring group Hengaw has reported that Sonia endured various injuries and was eventually left on a street in Abdanan after enduring threats, interrogation, and torture for over two hours.

Sonia’s experience has triggered renewed online discussions and sharing among Iranians, echoing the social media attention she garnered earlier. However, her bold public protests against the regime have exposed her to grave dangers, as over 500 demonstrators have died and thousands have been arrested during the ongoing crackdown.

Sonia’s arrest last December drew accusations of falsehood from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who dismissed the reports as products of “hostile media.” As of now, they have yet to respond to her recent claims.

This incident comes ahead of the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody, which catalyzed significant protest movements. While the #MahsaAmini protests have somewhat subsided, tensions persist as restrictions on women have tightened, and patrols monitoring women’s clothing have resumed, potentially leading to detentions for those not wearing a hijab.

Despite the risks, Iranian women continue to defy the regulations, both online and offline, as hashtags and social media platforms are used to spotlight the ongoing demonstrations within the country and share them with the global community.