The Islamic regime of Iran must be expelled from world sport and the Olympics

Open letter to the International Olympic Committee:

The Islamic regime of Iran must be expelled from world sport and the Olympics

Mr Thomas Bach

President, International Olympic Committee

Lausanne, Switzerland

28 October 2020

Dear Mr Bach

I am writing in connection with the demand of the people of Iran for the sports boycott of the Islamic regime of Iran and to register my deep disappointment and strong protest at your recent decision not to expel the Islamic regime of Iran from the Olympics following the abhorrent execution of champion wrestler Navid Afkari this September and despite the numerous crimes of this regime against humanity over the past forty one years of its existence. The atrocities of the Islamic regime of Iran include the massacre of tens of thousands of political dissidents and prisoners in the 1980s, imprisonment, torture and execution of workers’, women’s and student rights activists over these years, imposition of a hateful gender apartheid against women, including in sports, and, just in the past year, the massacre of around 1500 protesters during the November 2019 protests, the deliberate downing of passenger flight PS752, killing all 176 people onboard, and the continuing arrest, torture and execution of protesters since November last year. Your decision not to expel the Islamic regime of Iran from the Olympics was taken at a time when large sections of the people and sports, arts and political personalities in Iran, including current and former Olympic champions, as well as global sports federations and sporting figures from around the world, such as the World Players Association and Global Athlete, and many others, have called for the expulsion of this killer regime from the world sports community.

Just as the regime of racial apartheid in South Africa was expelled from international bodies in the early 1970s, so the regime of gender apartheid in Iran must be boycotted internationally and thrown out of sports, arts and diplomatic bodies. Justifications, such as the claim that the sporting boycott of the Islamic regime of Iran would deprive players and athletes of competition in world sport is unacceptable and only plays into the hands of a regime which has already denied half the population, i.e. women, of their most basic rights in sports, even of the right to watch sporting events.

The IOC claims it does not want to interfere in politics and therefore is not concerned with the criminal actions of the regime in Iran. The question is: Does the current leadership of the IOC defend this committee’s decision in 1970 to expel the racial apartheid regime in South Africa from the Olympics or do they condemn it for its interference in the politics of the time?

Disregard towards the atrocities of the Islamic regime of Iran sets an unsavoury and indefensible record for the current leadership of the IOC, which I urge it to abandon. Rationalisation of inaction in the face of the savageries of such an inhuman regime is unacceptable.

The actions, policies and laws of the Islamic regime of Iran are incompatible with the most basic standards of the world community. They must be condemned, and the regime boycotted globally. The Islamic regime of Iran must be expelled from world sport and specifically the Olympics. This is the immediate demand of our party and the people of Iran.

Regards

 

Asqar Karimi

Head of the Executive Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran