Recent claims by certain Iranian media outlets suggesting that international football star Cristiano Ronaldo could potentially face a sentence of 99 lashes for adultery in Iran have been debunked by the Iranian embassy in Madrid. The embassy released a statement to clarify the situation and express its concern regarding the spread of such unfounded news.
“We strongly deny the issuance of any sentence against any international athlete in Iran,” the embassy’s statement asserted. “It is of concern that the publication of such ill-founded news could cast a shadow over crimes against humanity and war crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation.”
The embassy emphasized that Cristiano Ronaldo visited Iran on September 18 and 19 to participate in an official soccer match. During his visit, he was warmly received by both the Iranian people and the country’s authorities. Moreover, his compassionate and humane interaction with painter Fatemeh Hamami was widely appreciated by the public and sports authorities in Iran.
The false reports alleged that Ronaldo faced a sentence of 99 lashes under Iranian law due to his romantic involvement with Georgina Rodriguez after traveling to Tehran with his team in September to play against Persepolis in the Asian Champions League. During this visit, Ronaldo presented a signed jersey to painter Fatemeh Hamami, hugged her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek as a token of appreciation for her works created using her feet.
The fabricated claims further suggested that numerous Iranian lawyers had filed charges against Ronaldo for his actions, purportedly based on Iranian law, which considers touching an unmarried woman as tantamount to adultery. The Iranian embassy’s statement serves to quell these unfounded reports and to affirm that no such sentence or legal action has been taken against the football star.
