Twelve thousand men watched the Iranian volleyball team beat the US in the world league series in Tehran on Friday night.<br /><br /> But very few women were in the crowd after ultra-conservative scholars ruled that they must be banned.<br /><br /> Just a handful of women from foreign embassies in Tehran and female referees were permitted to watch. Many others including female journalists were turned away from the venue.<br /><br /> Today #Iran violated discrimination rules for FIVBVolleyball match w/ban on women: HRW http://t.co/yZNe18q9BQ pic.twitter.com/DvnBGZ6Ulc— Minky Worden (@MinkysHighjinks) June 19, 2015<br /><br /> Activists are angry that religious hardliners forced the u-turn when the country’s new president had backed an easing of restrictions.<br /><br /> Last year, several women including British-Iranian Ghoncheh Ghavami were arrested after protesting at a game between Iran and Italy. She was jailed for five months.
