Iranian Women Spectators Barred from Entering a Football Stadium and Pepper Sprayed
by Pedram Samiêi — 31March2022
Iran not only banned women from attending the last 2022 World Cup football qualifying match Tuesday, March 29 but also violently attacked women who protested this.
The Iranian national football team defeated the Lebanese national team 2–0 in its last match of the World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. More than 2,000 women had bought tickets to watch the match, but were not only prevented from entering the stadium but were greeted with pepper spray.
The protesting women showed their tickets and said in interviews with the media that they had been waiting in line for hours to enter the stadium. The sales of tickets to the women made them believe in the promise that they are permitted to watch the football match between Iran and Lebanon.
Videos have been published (+) on social media that show pepper spray use in front of the Mashhad stadium and women in tears trying to relief the effects of the spray.
Last year, FIFA had warned Iran that according to Iran’s international obligations and in accordance with the policies of the International Federation, women should be allowed to enter the football match stadiums equally with men (+).
