Collective Protest of Mountaineers Across Iran Against Constitutional Violations

More than 800 coaches and athletes in mountaineering and rock climbing have issued a protest statement against the violation of the constitution by the Mountaineering Federation. They addressed the Minister of Sports and Youth, stating that according to Article 3 of the Constitution, the government is obligated to utilize all its resources for free education and physical training at all levels. In recent years, numerous protests have been raised regarding the performance of the Mountaineering Federation. The Federation's inclination towards revenue generation has not been through attracting sponsors but primarily through promoting private activities in the country's natural and public spaces. The continuation of this perspective within the Mountaineering Federation will gradually turn mountaineering in Iran into an expensive sport, similar to skiing, making participation in its programs unaffordable for low-income individuals. Members of the Iranian mountaineering and rock climbing community have emphasized that, according to the general policies of the Sixth Development Plan, sports executive bodies must help promote and popularize these sports and create opportunities for public participation. Despite the extensive mountaineering facilities across Iran, no effective measures have been taken to promote and popularize mountaineering. The letter also emphasizes that the annual membership fee of approximately 60,000 tomans is contrary to the provisions of the constitution. Furthermore, under the current practices of the Mountaineering Federation, there is a daily increase in costs, mandatory courses, prerequisites, and competition participation fees. Critics believe that the holding of mandatory courses and classes is solely aimed at generating more income. They argue that the reason for the mandatory nature of these classes is unclear and does not have significant technical merit. The Mountaineering Federation has so far refrained from responding to criticisms, and for this reason, mountaineers have turned to the Minister of Sports for a satisfactory answer. Protesters have demanded clarification of the Federation's services in exchange for the annual membership fee, as well as a professional definition for coaching prerequisites and a definition of how the annual membership fee is structured. A group of mountaineers from across the country, while warning against the privatization of public and social welfare services, has asked the Minister of Sports to clarify the Federation's programs. They believe that the Federation's recent actions will negatively impact clubs and mountaineering groups and sports climbs. Despite the Federation's revenue generation from the country's natural and public resources, champions in this sport have always complained about the negligence of mountaineering officials, and it is unclear how the Federation's revenues are utilized. Iranian state television aired a report about Reza Alipour, the World Cup rock climbing champion, who is training alone in a facility lacking resources and with torn shoes. He explained that he must change his shoes every two months but does not have the money to buy new ones. Therefore, he is forced to risk injury and continue his training with these worn-out shoes.