Extra Rewards for Presenting Paralympic Medals to Khamenei, Raisi, and Haniyeh

The withdrawal of Saad Bit Siah's gold medal in the 2024 Paralympics was not the only controversial incident involving the 64-member Iranian sports delegation in Paris. Despite his championship and record-breaking performance in javelin throw, Bit Siah received two yellow cards due to a controversial non-sporting celebration and displaying a religious flag, leading to his disqualification from the event. The disqualification of the Iranian javelin champion and television interviews with some medal winners sparked widespread reactions among Iranian users on social media. A user named Barnaei wrote: 'Once and for all, this ideological nonsense and religious flags should be put away. I hope this athlete's disqualification serves as a lesson for others.' Rouhollah Rostami, the champion in the 80 kg powerlifting category at the Paralympics, dedicated his gold medal to Ali Khamenei, stating: 'I dedicate this medal to the Supreme Leader and all the honorable Islamic nation of Iran, as it is from the Imams.' These statements were met with widespread praise from government supporters but also angered many users. Zahra Rahimi, the first medalist for Iran's delegation who became a runner-up in taekwondo, dedicated her medal to the 'martyrs of Gaza.' Yasin Khosravi, after breaking records four times and winning in weight throw, stated in a live television interview: 'They said if you win gold, dedicate the gold medal to the martyr of resistance, Ismail Haniyeh.' Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, was killed in an explosion this August while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran and Hamas, both listed as terrorist organizations by the U.S. and the EU, attributed this act to Israel, although officials from that country neither confirmed nor denied involvement. A user named Mehiyari commented on the exclusion of Reza Hajjar from the national bodybuilding team: 'That guy was banned for dedicating to his girlfriend. Now the bread is in dedicating to Gaza, Haniyeh, and the leader. Understand the value of these things, it's all a show.' On the other hand, Elham Salehi, after winning a bronze medal in the F54 javelin throw, dedicated her medal to Ebrahim Raisi. She mentioned the military plaques given to the delegation members, saying: 'One side of the plaque had my name, and the other side had the martyr of the republic.' The plaques given to representatives of Iranian sports at the Paralympics had the names of athletes alongside war victims, labeled 'soldiers of the homeland.' Furthermore, Brigadier General Ghafour Karagari, head of the Iranian National Paralympic Committee, who is noted as a former commander of the Quds Force and close to Qassem Soleimani, announced before the trip to Paris that 25% of 'extra rewards' would be allocated to athletes who, according to him, 'observed professional ethics.' He did not specify the ethics he had in mind but referred to it as a 'special privilege of the committee.' Following Ghafour Karagari's trip to Paris in September 2023, two non-governmental organizations from France and Sweden filed a complaint against him with the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office. The 'House of Freedom' association in Sweden announced that it had filed a formal complaint against Ghafour Karagari in the French judiciary. French media reported that the 'Freedom Women' association in France also played a role in this joint complaint, accusing Ghafour Karagari of 'committing torture' and 'crimes against humanity.' There has been no visible reaction from the French judiciary regarding this case, but news about the complaint has received widespread coverage in the media of that country. One of the coaches of the Iranian Paralympic delegation, who wished to remain anonymous, told Radio Farda that the coordinated dedication of medals to senior government officials and the 'axis of resistance,' the alignment of champions' television statements with the policies of the Islamic Republic, as well as the display of flags and 'religious symbols,' are among the effective factors for receiving 'extra rewards' from the Paralympic committee. Sports managers in football and Olympic sports also have similar expectations. However, the greater fame of Olympic athletes, broader public attention, and media focus complicate the implementation of non-sporting directives for managers. Conversely, athletes behave more cautiously due to awareness of the potential decline in their popularity. For instance, the phrase on the shirt of Mehdi Torabi, a national football player who in 2019 described 'obedience to the leader' as the only 'way to save the country,' continues to resonate. The often humorous or sharp reactions, as well as chanting in stadiums, led to another footballer refraining from repeating that action. After May 2024, when Hassan Yazdani, a star wrestler from Iran, appeared at Sari Airport to welcome Ebrahim Raisi, there was a significant change in the tone and attitude of many sports fans towards him, to the extent that after his defeat in the 2024 Olympic final, many users expressed happiness over his loss.