How Cristiano Ronaldo can avoid punishment after 'facing 99 lashes for adultery'

Cristiano Ronaldo could avoid punishment after reportedly being sentenced to 99 lashes in Iran.

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, media in Iran claimed that several of the country's lawyers have filed a complaint against Ronaldo due to a picture which was taken in the country back in September.

The Al Nassr star met Iranian painter Fatima Hamimi during a visit to the country with his team for the Asian Champions League.

Hamimi gifted Ronaldo a painting and the Portuguese allegedly kissed her on the cheek and a photo posted on social media showed Ronaldo hugging the painter.

The picture caught the attention of Iranian authorities, as per the country’s laws, touching a married woman is a form of adultery.

However, it has been reported that Ronaldo could avoid punishment.

According to Marca(via gbnews), Ronaldo would need to show remorse for his actions.

In addition, he would reportedly have to apologise to Iranian officials in a bid to address the problem.

Getty

It has also been claimed that if a judge finds the ‘acts are not punishable’, Ronaldo will escape any punishment.

At the moment, the chances of Ronaldo heading back to Iran could be slim as Al Nassr are not due to play in the country any time soon.

However, things could change if the Saudi Professional League side are drawn against an Iranian team later in the Asian Champions League.

If that turns out to be the case, Al Nassr could be forced to leave Ronaldo behind when they next travel to the country.

SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.