TEHRAN — A 31-year-old Iranian woman, Arezou Badri, remains bedridden at a Tehran hospital, paralyzed in her lower limbs and having difficulty speaking, more than three weeks after she was shot by Iranian police over alleged violations of the mandatory hijab laws, activists have reported.

Badri was targeted during a police chase in the northern city of Nur on July 24. Iranian police confirmed the shooting only this week, in a statement accusing Badri of "refusal to comply with an order to stop." They said that officers were "legally authorized to use a weapon" under such circumstances.

The statement did not provide additional details, but opposition media, citing Badri's family, said that through her vehicle registration Badri had previously received a hijab notice, something commonly issued to drivers or passengers captured wearing loose hijab on traffic cameras. Under those regulations, the noncompliant vehicles are seized, and the violators could face a variety of punishments ranging from fines to imprisonment.

Transferred to Tehran from her hometown, Badri has undergone surgeries, with medical staff facing restrictions imposed by the intelligence officers stationed at the facility, including confiscation of their phones before attending to her to avoid public release of any information, rights campaigners have said.