Tehran: Iranian chess referee Shohreh Bayat was removed from a commission amid a dispute with the head of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), because of a gesture of solidarity with protests in Iran.
This came after, 35-year-old Shohreh Bayat wore a “Women, Life, Freedom” T-shirt at a 2022 Fischer Random World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland in October 2022.
As per media reports, the Icelandic organizers had no problem with this T-shirt. It was David Llada, FIDE’s chief marketing and communications officer, who approached Bayat and asked her to wear something more neutral the next day.
Bayat wore a blue top and yellow skirt the following day in solidarity with the Ukranian people.
Shohreh Bayat took to Twitter and wrote, “The Russian President of @FIDE_chess @advorkovich asked me to change my #WomanLifeFreedom t-shirt during the Fischer Random Chess Championship. I then appeared in Ukranian colours.”
“@FIDE_chess said I am an inappropriate arbiter since I openly support human rights in Iran&Ukraine,” she added.
“I don’t think it’s normal to remain silent about this,” Bayat, told Reuters in an interview.
“This is a big human rights issue. I think if we keep silent about these things, we can never forgive ourselves,” she added.
Her case has been taken up by several prominent activists, including Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad.
Earlier, Shohreh Bayat was accused by Iran of violating hijab rules at a tournament in 2020.
Fearing for her safety, Shohreh Bayat has been living in London after photos of her at the 2020 tournament in Russia sparked criticism in Iranian state media.
Shohreh Bayat received the International Women of Courage Award from the United States in 2021 and has since advocated for Iranian women.
Protests in Iran continue
Iran has been rocked by sweeping protests since September 16, over the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
Her death ignited anger over several issues, including the restrictions imposed on personal freedoms and strict rules regarding women’s clothing, as well as the living and economic crisis that Iranians suffer from, not to mention the strict laws imposed by the regime and its political and religious composition in general.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) announced that 520 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Friday, January 13, including 70 children.
At least 19,400 people, including 710 students, were arrested in those protests that took place in 164 cities and towns and 144 universities.
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