Fans will not be allowed to bring Iran's pre-revolution flag into World Cup stadiums after a judge upheld FIFA's ban in an emergency hearing. The ruling came from Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin, who denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the prohibition.
Political Symbolism Behind the Flag
The pre-revolutionary flag shares the same colours as the current official flag but features a different lion-and-sun motif. It is historically associated with Iran's previous Shah-led regime and has been used by Iranians in the USA and worldwide as a symbol of protest against the current government.
Legal Challenge Dismissed
The Institute for Voice of Liberty and Iranian fan Sam Kermanian had sought the restraining order. However, during an expedited hearing on Monday, Judge Kin ruled that the ban should stand. He stated: "Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a bedrock of our society, but it is not without limitation, such as private actor, on private property, and as shown by previous cases, regulating in reasonable way. I deny the application."
FIFA's Code of Conduct
FIFA prohibits flags or apparel of a political nature. Article 3.1.243 of their Stadium Code of Conduct states: "Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender identity and expression, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation or on any other grounds."
Fans Continue to Display Flag
Despite the ruling, several fans inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which has the largest Iranian population outside of Iran, were still carrying the banned flag. Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, Kermanian's attorney, told USA TODAY Sports that the ruling was on the request for a restraining order only. "The pending lawsuit is not over yet," Mokhtarzadeh said in an email.
