Sahar Khodayari

Incident and suicide Sahar Khodayari was born in 1990 to a family in Salm, Kiar County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran.

She died in hospital one week later due to third-degree burns that she had suffered (approximately 90% of her skin surface area had been affected). According to DW, the six-month jail sentence had been affirmed while she was in hospital.

In October 2019, Iranian women were allowed to attend a football match in Iran for the first time in 40 years. However, in 2022, Iranian women were blocked from entering the stadium for a World Cup qualifier.

Reactions National Gholam Hossein Ismaili, the spokesman of the judicial system of Iran, claimed that Sahar Khodayari had not been convicted nor sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment, as was reported. In an interview with the state-owned TV, before her family was told not to speak to the media,

Worldwide FIFA made a statement about Khodayari's death: "We are aware of that tragedy and deeply regret it." Iran was chosen to host 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and FIFA had said the country must provide free entry of women to those international matches. Amnesty International said, "What happened to Sahar Khodayari is heart-breaking and exposes the impact of the Iranian authorities' appalling contempt for women's rights in the country." A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State said: "The death of the Blue Girl, Sahar Khodayari, is another proof for the fact that the Iranian people are the greatest victims of the Islamic regime." On 12 September 2019 an arrest warrant was issued for Saba Kamali, an Iranian actress, after her post on Instagram in support of Khodayari. She had published an imaginary dialogue with Husayn ibn Ali questioning the relevance of the ceremonial Ashura event compared to Iran's discriminatory laws. According to France 24, Iranian football fans reacted with shock and anger following Khodayari's death. By using #BanIRSportsFederations, Iranians called for the Islamic regime's sports federations to be banned from participating in world sport. Some local football stars and known figures responded to Khodayari's death with public statements.

Film The Recess is an Iran-Spain short film inspired by the story of Sahar Khodayari. Directed by Navid Nikkhah Azad, The Recess has been screened in more than 160 international film festivals including FIAPF-accredited, Oscar and Goya Awards qualifying festivals, and has won 32 awards.