A/HRC/43/61 2. Discriminatory policies 38. A prohibition on Iranian women attending sporting events in the Islamic Republic of Iran, while not written into law, has effectively been enforced since 1981. A few exceptions to this policy have occurred in recent years, 67 most recently in October 2019, when more than 3,000 women were allowed to attend a football match. 39. Although the match was touted as representing the end of the unofficial ban, the number of tickets available to women was restricted by the authorities 68 and the Government gave no indication of having changed its policy. The Vice President for Women and Family Affairs has reportedly said that there is no obstacle to women entering stadiums and that there is hope for progress in lifting the ban. 69 At the same time, the Prosecutor-General and high-level religious figures70 have reportedly indicated that they do not support lifting the ban. Other high-level religious figures have similarly noted that the ban should remain in place. Practical concerns also exist, such as the lack of women’s restrooms in all stadiums other than Azadi Stadium, with the national football federation reportedly rejecting their installation in other stadiums. 71 40. Women have frequently sought to challenge the restriction on their ability to enter stadiums through peaceful demonstrations or by entering disguised as men, and many have been arrested and detained. In a recent tragic incident, Sahar Khodayari, who had been arrested for dressing as a man in order to attend a football match, died in August 2019 from self-immolation when she learned she could be sentenced to prison for her actions. 72 In March 2018, as many as 35 women were reportedly arrested for seeking to attend a match 73 and in August 2019 at least four women were arrested and held for several days after attempting to enter a stadium dressed as men.74 F. Situation of minorities 41. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned about a bill adopted by the Committee for Judicial and Legal Affairs of parliament in July 2019 on “misguided sects”.75 The bill criminalizes membership in groups that the Government considers to be “misguided”. According to a member of the Committee, the bill was proposed because of concerns about sects that have no jurisprudential or religious status but attribute their belief to Islam and about the cults that have emerged recently. Members of non-recognized religious minorities have expressed concern that passage of the bill would make it a criminal offence to follow certain religions and could be used to increase discrimination against them. 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 www.iranhumanrights.org/2018/10/iranian-women-attend-mens-soccer-game-standing-firm-againststate-ban-and-hardline-threats/; www.iranhumanrights.org/2018/06/iran-spain-match-aftermath-willirans-ban-on-women-in-sports-stadiums-finally-be-lifted/; www.iranhumanrights.org/2017/06/somefemale-sports-fans-allowed-to-watch-mens-volleyball-match-in-tehran-but-ban-persists/; www.almonitor.com/pulse/fa/originals/2017/07/iranian-women-get-to-watch-volleyball.html. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/10/iran-limited-allocation-of-football-tickets-for-women-acynical-publicity-stunt/; https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/10/women-football-fans-decry-restrictionswhy-didnt-they-let-us-all-in/. https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/08/iran-releases-detained-stadium-ban-protesters-as-hardlinerscheer-on-discriminatory-policy/; https://piroozinews.com/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7% D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A6%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9% 88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B9%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%87/. www.isna.ir/news/98051507626/. www.hrw.org/news/2019/10/04/iran-stadium-seating-cap-endangers-women. www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/09/woman-banned-stadiums-iran-attempts-suicide. www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43243414. https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/08/iran-releases-detained-stadium-ban-protesters-as-hardlinerscheer-on-discriminatory-policy/. https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/news/show/1206670. 11