The mothers of several children who were scheduled to participate in a karate competition in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad have been barred from watching the event in person as security officials enforced a government ban on women entering stadiums in the country.
Video of a security officer stopping the mothers from entering a sports hall where the event was taking place was published on social media on July 22.
The women begin to protest against being barred from the premises but the security officer tells them he is enforcing a "national directive" that was sent to all sports halls across the country by the deputy minister of sports.
Women have been barred from attending stadiums since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Iran's clerical establishment has long opposed the idea of women being allowed in stadiums with male fans and enforcement of the ban on women entering stadiums in Iran, especially in religious cities like Mashhad, has been stepped up recently.
Iran's notorious Guidance Patrols, or morality police, have become increasingly active and violent in recent months, with videos emerging on social media appearing to show officers detaining women, forcing them into vans, and whisking them away.
On March 29, police blocked female supporters who had arrived outside the Imam Reza stadium in Mashhad from going inside, even though they had valid tickets. When they began protesting, the women were pepper-sprayed.
