Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
An Iranian court sentences Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to receive 99 clashes for adultery after he “hugged an unmarried woman”.
Fact
No such order was issued by any court; Iranian embassy refutes claim.
Several social media users are claiming that Iran has sentenced Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to receive 99 lashes as punishment for adultery. According to the claims, the court order was after the footballer was seen shaking hands and embracing a specially abled fan and artist, Fátima Hamami, who is a single woman.
Users have also shared a video of the encounter, where Hamami gifted a portrait of Ronaldo to the footballer and received an Al-Nassr jersey, following which a thankful Ronaldo hugged Hamami and posed for pictures.
The archived version of the tweet can be seen here.
Why Was Cristiano Ronaldo in Iran?
The 38-year-old footballer was in Iran last month for Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League game against Persepolis on September 19. Before the match, he was greeted by fans who showered him with gifts, including the paintings by Hamami.
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Fact check
Newschecker first ran a keyword search for “Cristiano Ronaldo 99 lashes”, which led us to multiple news reports, seen here, here and here, stating that although Ronaldo’s gesture caused a stir among several lawyers, a clarification had been put out by the Iranian embassy in Madrid on X, which said that Ronaldo had not been sentenced to 99 lashes for embracing Hamami and his meeting with the artist — a die-hard fan of the footballer — was well accepted by everyone in the country.
“We strongly deny the issuance of any sentence against any international athlete in Iran. It is a matter of concern that the publication of such unfounded news could overshadow crimes against humanity and war crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation. It should be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo travelled to Iran on September 18 and 19 to play in an official soccer match and was very well received by the people and the authorities. His sincere and humane meeting with Fatemeh Hamami was also praised and admired by both the people and the country’s sports authorities,” the statement read.
We then got in touch with Factnameh, a platform that tackles misinformation in Iran, who said the viral claims were false, stating, “No court in Iran condemned Ronaldo to 99 lashes”. Factnameh also shared a news report from Iran International TV, stating that the viral claim was part of a publicity stunt by a lawyer. The report also quoted Hamami, who said, “I have to tell you that my family and I have not had any complaints or grievances regarding this matter, and Ronaldo hugged me with a sense of philanthropy and sincerity, and this is a sign of love. And his honour and humanity.”
Also Read: Viral Video Showing ‘Egyptians Crossing Gaza Border’ Predates Israel-Hamas Conflict
Conclusion
Viral claim stating that an Iranian court sentenced Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to receive 99 clashes for adultery was found to be false.
Result: False
Sources
Tweet, @IraninSpain, October 13, 2023
Email from Factnameh
Report, Iran International TV
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
