Revolutionary Guards Detain Several Women Accused of ‘Attempting to Enter Stadium’
The intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has detained several women who were working to allow women to enter football stadiums in Iran.
According to reports published, these individuals were detained on Monday of the current week by the intelligence organization of the Revolutionary Guards. Some unconfirmed reports suggest that the detention of these individuals occurred “at the complaint and request” of Mehdi Taj, the head of the Iranian Football Federation.
Among those detained are five people who attended stadiums in disguise and Farrokh Alai, a photographer for the newspaper “Donya-ye Eqtesad.”
Zahra Khoshnavaz, Hediye Marousti, and Leili Maleki are among other detained individuals.
These detentions occur as Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Football Federation, had previously requested in a letter to Mehdi Taj that conditions be provided for women to attend stadiums during the preliminary rounds of the World Cup qualifying matches.
Iran’s first home match will be held on October 10th (Mehr 18) against Cambodia.
Following pressure from the International Football Federation (FIFA) and efforts by civil activists in recent months, Iran’s Ministry of Sports and Football Federation selectively allowed a number of women to enter stadiums in several matches. However, this measure faced harsh criticism from religious and judicial officials of the Islamic Republic on one hand, and on the other hand, FIFA’s human rights committee called it propaganda.
The Islamic Republic has prohibited women from entering stadiums to watch men’s football matches for nearly four decades. This is while FIFA prohibits any form of gender discrimination in its principles.
Protests against the prohibition of Iranian women from attending stadiums where men compete, including football, have repeatedly made headlines in recent years and have generated considerable international reaction.
Human Rights Watch had previously urged the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that women and girls could watch all men’s sporting events in the country.
Last summer, during the World Cup matches, a group of prominent Iranian women sent a letter to the International Football Federation (FIFA) asking it to press the Iranian government to end the discriminatory ban on women entering stadiums.
Source: Voice of America
