According to media reports, the footballers of the Iranian national team, who play against the USA this Tuesday, have been threatened in Qatar for singing the national anthem. CNN quotes an anonymous source as saying that the players’ families in Iran have been threatened with “violence and torture” if they do not sing the anthem before the match against the USA, as they did in the first match in Qatar.
The Iranian leadership considers the USA an “enemy” and regularly organises protests against Washington. This is one of the reasons why the Iran – USA match is being watched with bated breath.
At the match against England on 21 November, the Iranian players remained silent during the anthem. This was seen as a sign of their solidarity with the protests against the rulers in Tehran. Before the match against Wales – which they won 2 : 0 – the Iranian footballers had sung the anthem.
The source also tells CNN that dozens of security forces from Iran are in Qatar to monitor the Iranian players, who are not allowed to move outside the team or meet foreigners.
More than 18,000 people have reportedly been arrested since protests began in Iran in September. Around 400 are reported to have died in the crackdown on protests – many of them minors.
Very brave to shoot here!Today in front of the Evin prison in TehranStanding in front of it are relatives who are worried about imprisoned family members.They know what can happen behind the walls.Some have not been allowed to receive visitors for weeks.
As of 26.11.18173 people have been detained pic.twitter.com/M3CXdqBDww– Isabel Schayani (@isabelschayani) November 27, 2022
Ex-national player Voria Ghafouri arrested in Iran and released on bail
Last week, former international Voria Ghafouri, striker of the Iranian club Foolad FC, was arrested. The Kurd was accused of “insulting and tarnishing the reputation of the national team and carrying out propaganda” against the state, Iran’s Fars news agency wrote.
On Sunday, the 35-year-old Ghafouri was released on bail, according to media reports.
Khamenei’s niece arrested over video
Lately, a niece of Iran’s Supreme Cleric Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also detained. Farideh Moradkhani had declared in a video: “Oh free peoples, be with us and tell your governments to stop supporting this murderous and child-killing regime. (…) This regime is not faithful to any of its religious principles and knows no rules except strength and maintaining power. “
When niece of revolutionary leader in Iran calls for boycotting regime and as close family member of supreme leader is arrested as a result. She says: Woman- Life- Freedom (addendum: brother of Khamenei has always been in opposition to him) pic.twitter.com/f3Kojt8zf2
– Natalie Amiri (@NatalieAmiri) November 28, 2022
As Iran expert Natalie Amiri explains, Farideh Moradkhani’s father also disagreed with the ideas of revolutionary leader Khamenei.