Iranian women athletes who participated in last year’s nationwide protests or took stands against the Islamic Republic’s compulsory headscarf rules have been forced to back down from their beliefs under the pressure of the Ministry of Sports and Youth as well as the security and intelligence agencies, IranWire has learned. 

Through interviews with relatives of several athletes and information obtained from the Ministry of Sports, IranWire has uncovered a systematic pattern of pressure on prominent sportswomen, particularly in recent weeks.

The tactics used against these defiant women include imposing travel bans, closing their bank accounts, prohibiting them from attending national training camps or from accessing sports venues, and threatening them with arrest. 

Razieh Janbaz

Razieh Janbaz's journey as one of the pioneering stars of Iranian women's sports abruptly ended on September 26 when she bid farewell to the national handball team, citing her "respect for the high spirit of Mahsa Amini and her sisters in Iran."

And on January 16, Janbaz posted a picture of herself without a hijab on her Instagram page. "I'm not waiting for freedom anymore. If you can, confine me,” she wrote in a message accompanying the photo.

It appears that the Islamic Republic has now managed to silence Janbaz. Her Instagram page no longer features the aforementioned text and image or the videos she had shared. 

On February 15, Janbaz posted several stories announcing she had been "banned” from leaving the country. "It's bewildering that a protester is treated like a criminal," she wrote.

According to information obtained by IranWire, Janbaz has been unable to have her travel ban lifted, while the Ministry of Sports has threatened to shut down her gym.

Both the ministry and security institutions want her to delete all her posts without hijab, share a picture of herself wearing a headscarf, and unfollow the Instagram page of Ali Karimi, a legendary Iranian footballer who has voiced support to protesters.