Arrest of Several Local Sports Managers in Iran on Charges of 'Financial Corruption'

On Saturday, September 6, the Ministry of Sports and Youth announced the arrest of several sports managers on charges of 'financial corruption'. According to Iraj Arab, the head of the Ministry's Security Department, these sports managers, along with related individuals, were arrested by judicial order in one of the provinces of the country, and initial investigations have begun. The head of the Security Department did not provide details about the economic corruption, the identities of the arrested individuals, or the date of their arrest, but stated that the department will announce additional information as it follows up on the case. According to the Ministry's information portal, Iraj Arab referred to the Supreme Leader's request for the necessity of combating economic corruption, stating that good actions have been taken in the fight against corruption in the sports sector, including the return of 'significant amounts' of state assets and the arrest of several 'violators'. Previously, in December 2014, the Ministry of Sports and Youth had reported the arrest of several other sports officials aimed at 'cleaning up the sports environment' and 'realizing the Leader's directives and the government's policies in the fight against corruption'. At that time, Reza Hasani-Khoo, the then head of the Ministry's Security Department, mentioned that one of the detainees was from the ministry's headquarters, while two others were outside the sports management structure but related to it. This security official in the Ministry of Sports noted that only some allegations have been raised against these individuals, and it is possible that a non-prosecution order could be issued regarding all allegations. Additionally, the Iranian Football Federation has also been the subject of investigations regarding economic corruption in recent years. For instance, in June of this year, Reza Hasani-Khoo, who still holds the position of head of the Ministry's Security Department, announced that other individuals had been summoned by supervisory bodies to explain about corruption in the Football Federation, and one of the federation's members had also been arrested for this reason and remains in custody. Simultaneously, the IRNA news agency reported, citing a knowledgeable source in Brazil, the arrest of one of Iran's sports officials in Rio de Janeiro on charges of theft. According to the report, the accused has been released on bail but is not allowed to leave Brazil until the court hearing. IRNA added that the accused attempted to leave a store in Rio de Janeiro with items without paying for them and was arrested by the city's police. No news has been published regarding the identity of this sports manager and the time of his arrest, but the Tabnak website identified him as the vice president of one of Iran's sports associations.