Iran sentences British-Iranian activist Ghoncheh Ghavami over volleyball game
A British-Iranian woman detained in Iran after trying to watch a men's volleyball match has been sentenced to a year in prison. Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, was found guilty of spreading anti-regime propaganda, Iranian sources say citing lawyer Alizadeh Tabatabaie. The London graduate was detained as she and women's rights campaigners tried to enter the Azadi Stadium in Tehran to watch a volleyball game. Under Iran's strict Islamic laws, women are forbidden from mixing with male spectators at sporting events. Iran banned women from volleyball games in 2012, extending a long-standing ban on football matches. The Iranian authorities have argued that women need protection from the lewd behaviour of male fans. She was thrown into solitary confinement in Iran's notorious Evin political prison and was held for more than 100 days, including 41 days in solitary. Evin jail is known for holding political prisoners and journalists. The graduate of the University of London's School of African and Oriental Studies was part of a group of women who tried to watch Iran play Italy in a match on 20 June. The women were arrested and allegedly beaten before being freed. Ms Ghavami was rearrested later and subsequently put on trial. She launched a hunger strike in October after being held in isolation cells.
