In Iran, a man cannot hug a woman who is not part of his family circle.
The ethics committee of the Iranian Football Federation summoned a international player who has hugged a supporter before a national championship game, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.
Ramin Rezaeianwho plays for the Esteghlal club, was summoned after hugging a fan before Thursday's match against Chadormalu in the central province of Yazd, she said.
The football federation has not yet commented on the matter. The defender aged 34 ans played more than 60 matches for the Iranian national team. He has also played for clubs in Qatar and Belgium.
A heavy fine
According to the Islamic law in force in Iran since the 1979 revolution, a man cannot have physical contact with a woman outside the family circle.
Furthermore, the presence of women in a stadium in Iran has been banned for decades. Last April, Hossein Hosseini, Esteghlal's goalkeeper, was suspended after hugging a female supporter during a championship match.
The media then indicated that the Federation had fined him 300 million tomans (4,400 euros) for “bad behavior towards security agents during the match”.
