Human rights organization Open Stadiums has called on FIFA to ban Iran from this year’s World Cup for violating women’s rights.
Open Stadiums questions why Iran can compete when women are not allowed to attend football matches there. The call comes weeks after Iranian authorities allowed women to watch an Iranian championship game for the first time since 1979.
But Open Stadiums is skeptical that stadiums will actually remain open to women. “Iranian women do not trust either the authorities of the Islamic Republic or the Iranian Football Association that the Azadi Stadium will remain for them open when the World Cup concludes on December 18,” Open Stadiums wrote in an open letter to the FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The ban on women’s participation in matches is against international football rules, they point out, while calling on FIFA to “immediately exclude Iran from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar”.
Iranian news portals speculate that authorities allowed women to watch the match in August after Fifa sent a letter to Tehran urging them to allow more women into stadiums. Fifa previously told the BBC that it “will not turn a blind eye” when it comes to the said topic.
Although there is no official ban on women participating in sports events in Iran, it is rare and they are often refused entry at the door. Prior to August, women were de facto barred from domestic league matches in which men play. However, the women have attended a handful of international matches, including one in March.
Open Stadiums, which lobbies for equal access to sports in Iran, also claims that members of the Iranian soccer team traveling to Qatar have been banned from commenting on the deadly protests currently rocking the country.
More and more dead in protests
At the protests that erupted after the death of the 22-year-old Mahse Amini, 52 people died and several hundred were injured, the non-governmental human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) announced. Iranian state media reports more than 40 dead. “Amnesty International has the names of 52 women, men and children killed by Iraqi security forces,” the organization announced.
They added that they have a copy of a document that proves that on September 21, the General Staff of the Iranian Army advised the commanders of forces in all provinces to take strict action against the protesters. These are referred to in the document as “opponents of the revolution and troublemakers”.
According to the organization, the document proves that the escalation of violence and the use of real ammunition are systematic and are part of the strategy of the Iranian authorities.
“The international community must take immediate and decisive action to prevent the death and injury of people who will take to the streets in pursuit of their freedom, dignity and human rights,” AI pointed out.
On September 13, during a visit to Tehran, Mahsa Amini was arrested by the morality police for allegedly wearing a headscarf inappropriately. She died three days later. Activists claim she died from a blow to the head, while police deny blame for her death and deny she was beaten or ill-treated. The news of her death sparked widespread outrage and protests by thousands of people in Tehran and other cities across the country. The security authorities have responded to the protests with force, and have also disabled or made it difficult to access the Internet in the country.
In the largest protests in Iran in the last three years, according to activists, the security forces used, among other things, live and cluster bullets, and protesters threw stones at members of the security forces, set fire to police vehicles and state buildings.
Source: Rtvslo
Lisa_1Bridgeman is a proficient writer known for her exceptional talent in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a flair for storytelling, Lisa delivers engaging and informative content. Her contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for insightful journalism and a commitment to delivering high-quality articles.
