High risk: With the inscription on their jerseys during the World Cup in Qatar, football fans indicate their protest against the rulers in Iran.
Bild: picture alliance/dpa
Women, life, freedom: Ali Karimi and other athletes who are still active are risking their lives to protest against Iranian politics. Sports officials downplay the problem or barely move.
ASunday was the derby in Tehran, an anniversary game. For the hundredth time, big clubs Persepolis and Esteghlal met in football, and it was as usual in the Islamic Republic of Iran: women were not allowed to watch the Azadi Stadium. “Where were the women?” Asked Persepolis professional Soroush Rafiei after the game, “why are they still excluded?”
The midfielder, who was taken into police custody by the regime last autumn for his support of the Iranian civil rights movement, then shared his impression of the circumstances of his team’s 1-0 victory via Instagram: “We all felt the absence of the women, those without cause their fundamental rights are being denied.”