The Iranian women's rights movement "Open Stadiums" has asked FIFA to ban Iran from the World Cup in Qatar, which begins in November.

"Why should FIFA give the Iranian state and its representatives a global stage?" It says in a letter available to dpa, which the organization personally addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The sports show also reported on the letter. "Open Stadiums" has been calling for women to have free and unhindered access to football stadiums in Iran for years.

The background is the incidents surrounding the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The moral police in Iran had arrested her because of her alleged "un-Islamic outfit". What exactly happened to Amini after her arrest is unclear. The young woman fell into a coma and died in a hospital on September 16. Since then, people across the country have been demonstrating against the government's repressive course.

"This state not only refuses to respect fundamental rights and human dignity. It tortures and kills its own people," the letter from the women's rights movement continues: "Where are the principles of the FIFA Statutes in this regard? We demand FIFA to immediately ban Iran from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar." Iran meets the United States, England and Wales in Preliminary Group B. The first game is against England on November 21st.