Iran censors soccer match over 100 times due to woman referee – The Jerusalem Post
A television station controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran censored over 100 broadcast shots of a female referee during the Sunday British soccer match between Manchester United and Tottenham, sparking criticism on social media because of the regimes sexism.
Sardar Pashaei, a world champion gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling for Iran, tweeted: "Last night, Iran TV interrupted the important game between Manchester United and Tottenham dozens of times, censoring its images, just because one of the referee's match was a woman (@SianMasseyRef)[Sian Massey]. Will @FIFAcom [International Federation of Association Football] voice its objection to this gender discrimination by Iran?
Writing on the website of My Stealthy Freedom, which promotes a campaign against the compulsory hijab in the Islamic Republic, Vahid Ycesoy said that Iranian TV was forced to crudely cut away more than a 100 times from the live game between Premier League giants Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs on Sunday much to bemusement of the viewers.
He added that The reason: one of the assistant referees was a woman!! Shocking though it seems, Islamic Republic leaders do not allow a woman with her hair uncovered and her bare knees to be shown on the state-owned TV.
The Iran expert Ycesoy noted that Typically, movie scenes showing women in what is deemed revealing clothing are censored. But this would have been impossible when broadcasting Sundays match. The television censors were rattled by the presence of a female referee in shorts. Their solution was to cut away from the live action to views of Londons backstreets, which made a mockery of the game. At the end of the game, one of the commentators joked that he hoped the viewers enjoyed the geographic show.
The founder of the My Stealthy Freedom campaign, Masih Alinejad, tweeted: Censorship in Iran: business as usual!
This is not a joke. Iranian state TV cuts off parts of a football match more than 100 times because the assistant referee was a woman wearing shorts.
cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });
He added that It is no secret that women are treated as second class citizens in the Islamic Republic, where compulsory hijab rules are rigidly enforced. Now, even non-Iranians on television must be made to adhere to the countrys draconian laws.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, imposed a religious order fatwa that cartoons showing women and animated shows must be depicted wearing a hijab, Ycesoy said.
Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post can exclusively report the reactions by many Iranian political prisoners to the reported extrajudicial killing of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari.
A source familiar with political prisoners in Evin prison told the Post that many prisoners watched the IRIB [Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting] news broadcast about it. Most prisoners rejected the narrative put forward on state TV that he killed someone."
According to the source, "They ran a clip about him for at least 10 minutes trying to justify his killing but most people laughed at this and said it was bullsh*t.
The source added that There were quite a few political prisoners in Evin who had been rounded up for protesting like Navid in late 2019 or for objecting to the downing of the Ukraine plane. So, of course, they were outraged at his execution. Its very sad.
Evin prison in Tehran is notorious for its harsh conditions, including imposing torture on political prisoners.
Read more here:
Iran censors soccer match over 100 times due to woman referee - The Jerusalem Post
- Opinion: I counted Trumps censorship attempts. Heres what I found. - The Salt Lake Tribune - January 4th, 2026 [January 4th, 2026]
- DACC Board to Consider Public Censor of Member - Vermilion County First - January 4th, 2026 [January 4th, 2026]
- 15 Clever Ways Classic Movies Got Past the Censors - Cracked.com - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- The Year in Art: Censorship, Satire, and Introspection - Ocula - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- DACC board to consider public censor of member - The News-Gazette - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Americas free speech tsar: We reject Brits who censor the US - thetimes.com - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Trump Bars 5 Europeans From the U.S. Over Their Censorship Efforts - Yahoo - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Performing Censorship: Theatre and expression in Russia today - The Boar - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Opinion | I Counted Trumps Censorship Attempts. Heres What I Found. - The New York Times - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- A year of censorship and repression. And victory against the Russian state - The Barents Observer - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Proposed Alabama bill sparks debate over library governance and censorship concerns - WBMA - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- States Tried to Censor Kids Online. Courts, and EFF, Mostly Stopped Them: 2025 in Review - Electronic Frontier Foundation - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump Bars 5 Europeans From the U.S. Over Their Censorship Efforts - Reason Magazine - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- A Banner Year for Domestic and Global Censorship by the US - theunpopulist.net - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- The science of how (and when) we decide to speak outor self-censor - Ars Technica - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Imran Ahmed on Trump's threat to deport him over 'censorship' for countering online hate - PBS - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Shots fired in the US-EU war over digital censorship - The Week - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Americas free speech tsar: We reject Brits who censor the US - The Times - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Congress's Crusade to Age Gate the Internet: 2025 in Review - Electronic Frontier Foundation - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- CBS Political Censorship of "60 Minutes": Another Victim of Media Merger Madness - btlonline.org - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump admin pushes back on European censorship - Fox News - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- They Seek to Curb Online Hate. The U.S. Accuses Them of Censorship. - The New York Times - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of possible action after the U.S. bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship - Los Angeles Times - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- CBS 60 Minutes Censorship Rings Another Alarm, Warning of Corporate Medias Threat to Democracy - Democracy Now! - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Trump administration bars 5 Europeans from entry to the U.S. over alleged censorship - NPR - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- US targets former EU commissioner, activists with visa bans over alleged censorship - Reuters - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of action after U.S. bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship - Global News - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- US bars five Europeans it says pressured tech firms to censor American viewpoints online - AP News - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship - AP News - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU rejects US claims of censorship over tech rules after visa bans - EUobserver - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Trump administration bans top EU figures, citing 'censorship' of American views online - The National Desk - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Turkey intensifies censorship of LGBT-related content across media and culture in 2025 - Stockholm Center for Freedom - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Trump administration bars Europeans from U.S. for pressuring tech firms to censor American speech - Fortune - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- 'The myth of 'European censorship' is wielded by the Trump administration to avoid regulating Big Tech' - Le Monde.fr - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- How The Pogues Responded to Censorship of Their Hit Song Fairytale of New York: Times Change - VICE - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- RUBIO GOES ON OFFENSE AGAINST EU CENSORSHIP-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX The Trump administration is escalating its fight over free speech, not just at home,... - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Opportunity fleeing the coasts, from censorship to forced speech and other commentary - New York Post - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of possible action after US bars five Europeans accused of censorship - Sky News - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship - The Daily Review - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship - The Journal Gazette - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- France condemns travel restrictions on EU officials over online censorship - Washington Times - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Tonight in Your Rights: Beating the censors - All Rise News | Substack - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- CBS Shelves 60 Minutes Story On Trump Deportees At The Last Minute: People Are Threatening To Quit, Staffers Say - The Seattle Medium - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Exiled journalisms biggest threat is something more mundane than censorship - Nieman Lab - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Epstein victims angry over gaps and censorship in long-awaited file release - South China Morning Post - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- MI6 Confidential Issue #77 - MI6 - The Home Of James Bond - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- 2025 Book Censorship Wrapped: Trends, Challenges, and Successes Over The Year - Book Riot - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Indias Film Censorship Is Getting More Political and a New Data Leak Reveals Just How Deep It Runs - IndieWire - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Should the phrase "globalise the intifada" be banned? - Index on Censorship - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Sonys new censorship patent is one of the most hostile attacks on the arts yet - Digitally Downloaded - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- China Bans Winnie the Pooh? Country Now Forbids the Yellow Bear - Inside the Magic - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- A heart full of hope: behind the doors closed to women in Afghanistan - Index on Censorship - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Sony files AI censorship patent to make PlayStation games playable for all ages - Interesting Engineering - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- EFF Takes a Stand Against Censorship Disguised as Age Verification Laws - newsbreaks.infotoday.com - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- The 60 Minutes report on CECOT that Bari Weiss censored is now internet contraband - The Verge - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- 60 Minutes Staff Threaten to Quit Over Trump-Friendly Censorship - Inquisitr News - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Report: Over 8,700 news articles censored in Turkey in 2024 - Bianet - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- CBS, coverup, censorship, and that pesky tipping point - Daily Kos - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Repression deepens in Hong Kong with Jimmy Lais guilty verdict and censorship over deadly Wang Fuk Court fire - FIRE | Foundation for Individual... - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- PlayStation's AI Censorship Tool Is Angering Gamers, 'Black Mirror Is Here' - GAMINGbible - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- The right should be pro-actively defending free speech, not getting caught up in petty censorship feuds - nypost.com - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- EFF, Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch, and Index on Censorship Call on UK Government to Repeal Online Safety Act - Electronic Frontier Foundation - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Censor approval pending as IFFK puts 19 films, including Palestine-themed titles, on hold | Entertainment News - Hindustan Times - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Europes real censorship problem isnt what Trump claims - Index on Censorship - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Is impartiality possible when it comes to free speech? - Index on Censorship - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Union government disallows screening of 19 films at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala - t2ONLINE - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- This HIV Expert Refused To Censor Data, Then Quit the CDC - KFF Health News - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Dhurandhar Faces Regional Censorship in the Gulf but Dominates India With Massive Action-Spy Buzz - Times of India - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Censorship pure and simple: critics hit out at Trump plan to vet visitors social media - The Guardian - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Meta accused of banning LGBTQ+ accounts in one of its "biggest waves of censorship" ever - LGBTQ Nation - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Who is 2025s Tyrant of the Year? - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- YouTube and big tech censorship threatens global accountability, Palestinian rights groups say - Mondoweiss - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Elons Crying Censorship Over An EU Fine That Has Nothing To Do With Censorship - Above the Law - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Opinion | We Should Teach Our Students How to Think, Not What to Believe - The New York Times - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tyrant of the year 2025: Donald Trump - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tyrant of the year 2025: Vladimir Putin - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tyrant of the year 2025: Recep Tayyip Erdoan - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tyrant of the year 2025: Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tyrant of the year 2025: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - Index on Censorship - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Trump Is Using the Misinformation Censorship Playbook Republicans Attacked Biden For - Reason Magazine - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]