Iranian media stated that Iranian police briefly detained several anonymous top-tier football players at a New Year’s Eve party that offered alcohol against Islamic law.
Iran’s Islamic rules forbid alcohol and intersex. After a woman convicted of breaching the tight clothing code died in detention, social restrictions have caused a mass uproar.
The semi-official news agency Tasnim said that some current and former members of a top Tehran soccer club that was not named had been arrested at the party east of the capital.
“Some of the players were acting strangely because they had been drinking,” Tasnim said but did not say more.
The YJC news agency reported that the meeting was a birthday celebration and that all detainees, with the exception of one non-soccer player, have been released. A prosecutor was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying that a case had been filed against the detained individuals and that further details would be revealed later.
Iran’s football federation didn’t say anything right away.