A group of prominent Iranian athletes and coaches have issued an open letter to International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, urging the IOC to take a clear stance in support of Iranian athletes facing systematic discrimination and repression.
The letter, signed by 43 well-known figures from Iranian sport, emphasises that athletes from Iran deserve to compete in international events and the Olympic Games with full respect for human dignity and gender equality, free from political interference.
The signatories also refer to the recent killing of Iranian athletes during a massacre by the Islamic Republic’s security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They call on the IOC to avoid any form of cooperation or appeasement toward the current leadership of Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, noting that several senior officials are affiliated with the IRGC, a force accused of widespread human rights abuses.
Among those who signed the letter are Professor Iradge Ahrabi Fard, a leading academic figure in Iranian and American sports; Behrooz Sarshar, regarded as the founder of judo in Iran; Milad Zeynipour, a former Iranian Premier League footballer; along with several Iranian Olympians and international medalists.
The letter represents a rare collective appeal from Iran’s sporting community, calling on the Olympic movement to uphold its stated values of equality, human rights, and the protection of athletes. The letter is provided exclusively to SportsIn and is published in full below.
Open Letter from Iranian Athletes to the President of the International Olympic Committee
Date: 27.01.2026
Madam President, Kirsty Coventry,
We address you at a time when the people of Iran are facing one of the most violent waves of repression in recent history. The massacre of protesters by the Islamic Republic of Iran has claimed the lives of many citizens, including athletes, coaches, and referees from various sporting disciplines. Among the victims were gifted teenagers, members of Iran’s youth and junior national teams, young athletes who dreamed of one day competing in the Olympic Games.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the killing of Iranian protesters by the Islamic Republic. The European Parliament has likewise adopted a firmer position and moved toward more severe sanctions. In contrast, the continued silence of the International Olympic Committee has raised serious concern. It appears that the principle of so called political neutrality has been prioritised over the protection of human life and the fundamental rights of athletes.
The IOC did not remain neutral in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Belarus. Nor has it remained silent in the face of apartheid, where it has taken positions broadly recognised as justified and necessary. It is therefore deeply troubling that, in the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IOC has chosen to remain silent.
History will record that the IOC failed to act in response to gender segregation in Iranian sport, systematic discrimination against women athletes, and the state controlled and politicised nature of sport in Iran. History will also record that senior officials of Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committees were official members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, promoted anti women and antisemitic views, and yet continued to represent the Olympic Movement, while the IOC maintained engagement with them.
As athletes, we believe in the values enshrined in the Olympic Charter, including respect for human dignity, equality, and non discrimination. These values cannot be selectively applied.
We therefore call upon you, as the first woman in history to lead the International Olympic Committee, to demonstrate that the lives and futures of Iranian women athletes matter. We urge you to show that Iranian athletes deserve to participate in international and Olympic competitions in a dignified and humane manner, free from coercion, discrimination, and fear.
We ask you to ensure that the Olympic flag serves as a protective umbrella for Iranian athletes. Allow them to compete under the Olympic flag in international and Olympic competitions when their fundamental rights and personal safety cannot be guaranteed. Let the Olympic Movement stand with athletes, not with repression, silence, or complicity.
The credibility of the Olympic Movement depends on the consistent defence of its values. The world is watching. History will judge.
Signatories in alphabetical order
- Ahrabi Fard, Iradge – Swimming
- Arab, Mostafa – Football
- Azizpour, Bahman – Boxing
- Azizi, Reza – Karate
- Bashi, Yal – Diving
- Bashiri, Saeid – Boxing
- Bozorgzadeh, Hoshang – Table Tennis
- Emad, Mehdi – Water Polo
- Entezarioun, Mohammadreza – Cycling
- Esfandiari, Rouhollah – Karate
- Fallah, Majid – Kickboxing
- Fallah, Mahnaz – Kickboxing
- Gharaie, Mahta – Karate
- Gharib, Fariborz – Sport Journalist
- Hajir, Mehrdad – Diving
- Hazardastan, Hossein – Handball
- Hosseini, Zari – Athletics
- Jodaki, Reza – Kung Fu
- Kamali, Amir – Athletics
- Karimi, Saeid – Water Polo
- Kazemi, Parviz – Volleyball
- Mahjoub, Javad – Judo
- Makani, Sosha – Football
- Maroofi, Abdoulwahab – Muaythai
- Mohebban, Gitty – Fencing
- Mofeed, Fariborz – Gymnastics
- Movahdi, Darioush – Water Polo
- Ramezani, Hossein – Jujitsu
- Robatipour, Reza – Karate
- Sarshar, Behrooz – Judo
- Sattari, Esfandiyar – Athletics
- Shyari, Morteza – Volleyball
- Soleimani, Aria – Water Polo
- Soleimani, Reza – Water Polo
- Tabrizi, Reza – Bodybuilding
- Varzideh, Syamak – Boxing
- Yavarzadeh, Behshad – Football
- Yazdani, Maziyar – Equestrian
- Yousefi, Parviz – Gymnastics
- Yousefi, Shahram – Weightlifting
- Youshanlou, Farzad – Karate
- Zandi, Karim – Athletics
- Zeynipour, Milad – Football
