Bangkok: A British-Iranian woman who is on hunger strike after being jailed for attending a men’s volleyball match should not use sport to make political points, Asia’s Olympic chief said on Wednesday.
Kuwait’s Shaikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said Ghoncheh Ghavami’s protest could send out “wrong messages”.
The 25-year-old law graduate from London has been refusing food or liquids since Saturday over a delay in the confirmation of her one-year sentence.
“Don’t see it only that she has a British passport. If she’s Iranian, she doesn’t have to use this benefit for politics in sport,” Sheikh Ahmad told reporters in Bangkok.
“We have to see it from both sides. If she’s using this... nationality for a political situation, we will reject it because we don’t want anybody to use sport for politics.”
He added: “In sport we want peace and solidarity. If somebody will use it for wrong messages, we can resist. You have to know that there are different cultures around the world, it’s not only one culture.”
Shaikh Ahmad was speaking at a meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees, of which he is also president. He said he had spoken to Iran and was awaiting their report on the matter.
Ghavami was arrested on June 20 after attempting to attend a men’s volleyball match between Iran and Italy in Tehran’s Azadi (“Freedom” in Farsi) Stadium.
Female fans and women journalists were told they could not attend, leading to a brief protest.
Ghavami was initially released after a few hours, but was rearrested days later at a police station when she went to reclaim items that had been confiscated near the stadium.
Women are banned from attending volleyball and football matches in Iran. Officials say protects them from lewd behaviour.
No reason was given for her sentencing, but Ghavami was accused of spreading anti-regime propaganda - a broad charge often used by the Iranian judiciary.
Officials have said that Ghavami was arrested for security reasons unrelated to the sporting event.
Ghavami previously went on hunger strike for two weeks before her sentencing. She had been detained for months before going on trial behind closed doors.
Her case has drawn international attention and has been described by Amnesty International as “appalling”. The British Foreign Office has raised concerns about the trial, the ruling and Ghavami’s treatment in custody.