Iranian authorities have arrested two organisers of a marathon on Kish Island after images surfaced showing women competing without the mandatory hijab. The judiciary announced the arrests on Saturday, a day after the race, which drew around 5,000 participants.
According to Mizan Online, one of those detained is an official in the Kish free zone, while the other works for the private company that organised the event. Prosecutors said a criminal case had been opened, citing violations of public decency and disregard for repeated warnings to comply with the country’s laws and religious principles.
The incident has reignited debate over enforcement of Iran’s strict dress code, introduced in the early 1980s. Conservative outlets Tasnim and Fars condemned the marathon as disrespectful to Islamic law, while lawmakers earlier this week accused the judiciary of failing to uphold hijab rules.
Women in Iran are legally required to cover their hair and wear modest clothing in public, but adherence has waned since the 2022 protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini. The government under President Masoud Pezeshkian has resisted parliamentary efforts to impose harsher penalties, even as Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has called for stricter enforcement.
The arrests echo past controversies, including the resignation of Iran’s athletics federation chief in 2023 after unveiled women competed in Shiraz.
