Following what happened during the last World Judo Championships in Tokyo, the International Judo Federation slapped the Iran Judo Federation with a protective suspension from all “competitions, administrative and social activities organized or authorized by International Judo Federation and its Unions”.

The International Judo Federation (IJF) has been announced on their website that “the August 28th 2019, during the last 2019 World Championships in Tokyo, a judoka from Iran Mr. Saeid MOLLAEI (-81kg) has been instructed by the Iranian authorities and the Iran Judo Federation to withdraw from competing to avoid a potential contest against an Israeli athlete, in this case, Mr. Sagi MUKI.”

Calling the actions a “gross contradiction with the content of the letter sent to the IJF on May 8th, 2019 under the signature of Presidents Seyed Reza SALEHI AMIRI, President of the I.R. Iran NOC and Arash MIRESMAEILI, President, I.R. Iran Judo Federation, which categorically confirms that “…by means of this letter, we would like to confirm that the I.R. Iran NOC shall fully respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle and the I.R. Iran Federation shall fully comply with the Olympic Charter and the IJF Statutes…”.

The statement adds that “they constitute a serious breach and gross violation of the Statutes of the IJF, its legitimate interests, its principles and objectives as well as of, in particular, but not limited to, the IJF Code of Ethics and the Olympic Charter.”