Two organisers of a marathon have been arrested by judicial authorities in Iran over images that emerged showing women participating in the race without wearing hijabs.
The marathon took place on Friday, where about 5,000 participants ran along Kish Island, off the southern coast of Iran.
After the race, images and footage appeared online of a strong field of female competitors in red shirts, many not wearing the hijab or any other head covering.
The next day, on Saturday, Iranian authorities arrested two of the main organisers of the competition, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news website.
“One of those arrested is an official in the Kish free zone, and the other works for the private company that organised the race,” Mizan reported.
A local prosecutor quoted in Mizan said a criminal case had been opened against both organisers “considering the violations that occurred and based on the laws and regulations”.
“Despite previous warnings regarding the need to comply with the country’s current laws and regulations, as well as religious, customary and professional principles … the event was held in a way that violated public decency,” the local prosecutor was quoted as saying.
On the contrary, many supporters of the female competitors without hijabs praised the images as further evidence that Iranian women are rejecting the clothing restrictions placed on them by authorities.
Observance of the country’s hijab rules appears to have loosened since the mass protests in 2022 over young woman Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after her arrest over an alleged dress code breach.
This week, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called for a renewed campaign against women not wearing the hijab in public.
The Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has refused to ratify a bill passed by the parliament that would have imposed tough penalties for women not observing the dress code.
Along with clothing restrictions, the fact that the marathon was held at all has drawn criticism from ultra conservatives for allowing Iranian women to participate in sport. Just a few years ago, this would have been seen as going against the theocratic Islamic leadership.
The prosecutor in Kish described the marathon as a “violation of public decency” for taking place.