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The head coach of the Iranian women's national team in alpine skiing, Samira Zargari, was not allowed to accompany her team to the world championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
The reason: her husband had forbidden her to leave the country.
This was confirmed by several Iranian media and indirectly also by Zargari himself. On her Instagram page, the 37-year-old wished her team good luck despite her absence.
The reason for the ban was not given in the media or by Zargari himself.
In Iran, married women cannot apply for a passport without the notarized permission of their husbands.
Even with a passport, the husband can either forbid his wife to leave the country or confiscate the passport.
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In recent years, several top Iranian athletes have been banned from leaving the country.
The most prominent so far in 2015 was Nilufar Ardalan, the team captain of the women's national indoor soccer team.
Shortly before departure for the Asian championship, she was informed of her husband's decision on the departure ban at the airport in Tehran - and she was then not allowed to accompany the team.
Strong protests against the travel ban
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Zargari's travel ban sparked violent protests on social media, including from men.
Many were ashamed that in the 21st century a man would simply forbid his wife to leave the country.
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The judiciary was also criticized for allowing such a ban even in the case of a recognized national coach.
Some mainly female users advised Zargari to divorce “her stupid husband”.
A picture on Instagram shows Zargari at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
There Forough Abbasi finished 49th in the slalom.
She was the only female ski racer who competed for Iran at the Games in South Korea.