Overview
- The judiciary filed a criminal case over the Dec. 5 race, saying organizers ignored prior warnings and held the event in a way that violated public decency.
- Two main organizers were detained, including a Kish Free Zone official and an employee of the private race organizer, with judicial supervision ordered and their custody status not specified.
- The marathon on Kish Island drew about 5,000 participants in separate men's and women's races, according to local reports.
- Conservative outlets and several lawmakers criticized the event and called for tougher enforcement, and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei urged stricter application of hijab rules.
- The hijab has been legally mandatory since 1979, yet enforcement has been contested since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests and tougher penalties remain a point of national dispute.