Araz News: women are being turned away by local Iranian authorities despite assurances by Iranian authorities that they would comply with international rules and allow women to attend the Beach Volleyball World Championship on Kish Island. Female spectators couldn’t attend the Championship matches in Kish Island in southern Iran on FEBRUARY 15, 2016.

According to reliable source at the Iranian Volleyball Federation, the local authorities have acted arbitrarily and of their own accord in turning the women away. “The Iranian Volleyball Federation had aimed to satisfy the International Volleyball Federation’s requirements pertaining to allowing female spectators in the Kish Free Zone,” the source told the Campaign. “The issue will most likely be reviewed at the Iranian Volleyball Federation over the coming days, the source added.”

Mohammad Reza Davarzani ,the head of Iran’s Volleyball Federation assured people that the relatives and guests of team members would be allowed to watch the events from the stands—implying that women would also be allowed to attend. As a result of this, The International Volleyball Federation agreed with Iran’s request to host the event after receiving assurances of Mr. Mohammad Reza Davarzani ,the head of Iran’s Volleyball Federation that female fans would not be banned from the event.

Also, The semi-official Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) had quoted a communications director at the World Volleyball Federation on February 7, 2016, saying: “We have received guarantees from the Iranian organizers of the Beach Volleyball World Tour that anyone, regardless of gender or age, would be able to watch the games.”

However, on the opening day of the five-day event at the popular vacation destination of Kish Island, on February 15, 2016, women were not allowed to sit in the stands.

According to eyewitnesses of  a sports writer,Some women watched the matches and took photos from the rooftop of a nearby coffee shop after being stopped from entering the event center.

It should be noted that volleyball is the only men’s sport Iranian women have occasionally been allowed to watch from arena stands in Iran. Even though an order to ban women from watching all men’s matches has been strictly enforced in the past three years, women’s groups have been working hard to reverse this right .

By-H.A