Sahar Khodayari, also known as Blue Girl, was an Iranian woman known for setting herself on fire in front of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran on 2 September 2019. She was protesting a possible sentence of six months in prison for having tried to enter a public stadium to watch a football game, against the national ban against women at such events. She died a week later of her injuries. Khodayari's self-immolation has generated much debate in Iran about the government's restrictions on women. The country has been chosen to host select qualifier games for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. FIFA has said that Iran must allow women into the stadium to see those international football matches. Iran guaranteed such entry for the first time after 40 years, one month after her death. Khodayari has since become a symbol of protest against the Islamic Republic's oppression against women. Inspired by the death of Sahar Khodayari, " also known as is a short film directed and produced by in 2020.
Incident and suicide
Sahar Khodayari was born in 1990 to a family in Salm, Kiar County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. Her family includes a sister. The family later lived in Tehran. Khodayari graduated from university with degrees in English and in computer sciences. As a young woman she became a fan of the game of football. She was identified as "Blue Girl" on social media, after the colors of her favorite club, Esteghlal FC, based in Tehran. In March 2019 Khodayari tried to enter Azadi Stadium for a match of AFC Champions League between Esteghlal and Al Ain FC. Because women in Iran have been prohibited since 1981 from attending football matches, she disguised herself as a man to enter undetected. But the security guards noticed Khodayari and arrested her for violating the prohibition; they took her to the localNAJA. She was held for three nights in jail before being released on bail, pending her court case. According to Amnesty International, Sahar Khodayari was ordered six months later to attend a Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 2 September 2019 to give a reason for her attempt to enter Azadi football stadium. She was charged with "openly committing a sinful act by… appearing in public without a hijab" and "insulting officials". While no verdict was delivered in her case because the judge was unavailable, she was reportedly told she might face a six-month jail sentence. After Khodayari left the court, she poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire outside the courthouse in self-immolation. She died in hospital one week later due to the third-degree burns that she had suffered. According to DW, the six-month jail sentence had been affirmed while she was in hospital. On October 2019, Iranian women were allowed to attend a soccer match in Iran for the first time in 40 years.
Reactions
National
Gholam Hossein Ismaili, the spokesman of judicial system of Iran, claimed that Sahar Khodayari had not been convicted nor sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment, as was reported. He said that the media had published "rumor" that was not true.
In an interview with the state-owned TV, before her family was told not to speak to the media, her sister had said that Khodayari was receiving treatment for mental illness. There were rumors that she had tried to take her life as a university student. Because of this, authorities might have reduced charges against her, if they had chosen to do so.
Ali Karimi said that Iranians should "boycott soccer stadiums to protest Khodayari's death."
Worldwide reaction
FIFA made a statement about Khodayari's death: "We are aware of that tragedy and deeply regret it." Iran has been chosen as a site for qualifier matches for the 2022 World Cup, and FIFA has said the country must provide for free entry of women to those international matches.
Amnesty International said, "What happened to Sahar Khodayari is heart-breaking and exposes the impact of the Iranian authorities' appalling contempt for women's rights in the country."
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said: "The death of blue girl, Sahar Khodayari, is another proof for the fact that the Iranian people are the greatest victims of the Islamic regime."
On 12 September 2019 an arrest warrant was issued for Saba Kamali, an Iranian actress, after her post on Instagram in support for the death of the Blue Girl. She had published an imaginary dialogue with Husayn ibn Ali questioning the relevance of the ceremonial Ashura event compared to Iran's discriminatory laws.
According to france24, Iranian football fans reacted with shock and anger following Khodayari's death. By using #BanIRSportsFederations, Iranians called for the Islamic regime's sports federations to be banned from participating in world sport.
Some local football stars and known figures, and international players and football authorities responded to Khodayari's death with public statements.
