On Saturday, January 7, a former Karate champion, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, 22, and a former martial arts athlete and voluntary children’s coach, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, 39, were hung by the Islamic regime in Iran. Both were imprisoned after being arrested for making the protests in progress in Iran. Conformity with Amnesty InternationalHis judicial procedures were “a unjust simulated group trial of fast tracking … that did not resemble judicial procedures.”
According to Human Rights of IranBoth were denied access to their lawyers through the procedures and underwent severe torture.
I began to investigate what types of mechanisms have established international sports government bodies to address human rights violations in sports. It is not a clear answer! Several examples of double standards applied by international sports organizations can be found to define human rights violations based on different occasions/sports/nations and the selective use of sports neutrality to define what a political action is and what not.
I even thought that I am striving to raise awareness about this issue to the attraction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international federations to take measures to stop the executions of athletes in Iran, he Execution country in second place in the worldLeave a bitter taste due to the COI’s decision to allow China, the first in the execution ranking, to host the recent winter Olympic Games.
However, the IOC made a historical decision in February 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on the organs of the sports government of Russia and Belarus. The IOC encouraged all international federations to prohibit Russians and Belarusians to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions for the safety of all participants.” The IOC Executive Board also issued a recommendation not to organize any sporting event in Russia or Belarus.
How will I go? Hundreds of athletes and coaches have been arrested since the protests begged in September 2022, several have been killed in protests, and two are executed and several face the death penalty and many sentenced to long prison conditions. As an example, the Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
International sports organizations have proven very selective with their decisions. Rather than impossible sanctions, The International Fitness and Body Building Federation (IFBB) Has Allowed The Islamic Republic of Iran to Host The IFBB Men Fitness Challenge World Championships In December 2022. As an Example, in the ongoing anti-regime protest in Three Iranian Bodybuilding Athlets, Ahmad Shokrollahi, Erfan Nazari, and Muhammadamin Takalli were killed and several were arrested, including Mehdi Aali and Mohammedreza Olfati. And Asoo (Sivan) Yari.
Would COI and international federations consider? An invasion of another country Is it more likely to violate the security and rights of athletes than the execution of athletes who protest or the judgment of those arrested in protest to the death penalty for their national government? And the IOC and others IF are more concerned with the safety of athletes in Ukraine than in non -European nations? In Ukraine, for example, The president of the IOC with athletes and visited sports facilities Damaged by war. Consequently, the Help Fund for Ukrainian athletes has tripled. However, the president of the IOC never visited any non -European country in the war, such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, etc., nor the IOC increased its NOC funds due to the war.
Last October, Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian climber, bravely broke the national law that ordered women to use children and competed without Hijab Atian climbing championships, causing Conerns regarding their safety. He International Federation of Escalada Sports (IFSC) informs that “he has assured that Rekabi will not suffer any consequence as a result of a meeting between the IOC and the National Olympic Committee of Iran (Nociri), and intends to continue monitoring the situation.”
Would the same be for athletes given the death penalty? The IOC, the World Karate Federation (WKF), the Fitness and Body Body Building Association (FIFA), the International Martial Arts Federation (MAIF), the International Federation of Fight (UWW), the Law of the International Swimming Federation (Fine) and the Law of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to save these athletes who have lost death by death of death.
The answer to all these questions is unknown. Time will say it. But how long do Iranian athletes have? Iran executed their first anti-regime protester On 08.12.2022 and two athletes were executed on 07.01.2023. Amnesty International List Or 26 people at risk of execution include the names of three more athletes, which means that they have an imminent risk of execution.
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Mr. Saleh Mir Hashemi (Karate coach, 36 years old)
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Mr. Abolfazl Mehri Hosseini Hajilou (Soccer, 17 years)
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Mr. Sahand Nour Mohammadzade (Culturismo, 25 years)
In addition, for athletes/coaches who are sentenced to crimes that Meeans their last Verdal is likely to be a very long prison period.
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Mrs. Fahime Karimi (volleyball coach)
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MR.Parham Paravi (Swimming, 25 years)
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Soheil Jahangiri (Lucha, 21 years)
Taking into account the bad excuse that sport is not political, so sports governing bodies should be involved in politics, even if it is related to human rights violations of people linked to sport, I will conclude this article with the words of Elie Weisel of yours. “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never to the victims. Silence encourages the torturer, never to the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are in danger, when human dicies saved, national,”
PHD Research Fellow in sport, gender and sustainability,
Southeast University of Norway
Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences
Department of Sports, Physical Education and Outdoor Studies
Blog posts represent the author’s opinions and not those of Sports & EU or their members members
