Some Iranian media report 99 lashes, 100 lashes, etc.
Iranian authorities issue "baseless news" statement as controversy grows
Reports that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who was in Iran to play in an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League match, was sentenced to prison for hugging a female fan and kissing her on the head have been proven to be untrue.
A recent report by Spanish sports outlet Marca claimed that Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nahr during his visit to Iran, was facing jail time for adultery by hugging an unmarried female fan, but Iranian authorities said it was fake news.
Ronaldo traveled to Iran's capital Tehran on March 18 to play a match against Iranian professional soccer team Persepolis. At the time, he was presented with a painting by a painter named Fatami Hamami and hugged and kissed him in return.
Afterward, several Iranian media outlets reported that Ronaldo could be sentenced to prison. This is because having physical contact with an unmarried woman is defined as adultery under Iranian law.
Some foreign media outlets have already reported that the Iranian judiciary has sentenced Ronaldo to 100 lashes and that the sentence will be carried out when he re-enters Iran.
As the news spread and the controversy continued, Iranian authorities took matters into their own hands.
The Iranian Embassy in Madrid, Spain, released a statement on social media, saying, "It is upsetting to have to rebut baseless allegations."
"We strongly reject any punishment of international athletes," the embassy continued, adding that "the publication of such baseless news could lead to crimes against humanity against the oppressed Palestinians and the Islamic State."
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