Anti-government protests in Iran have been a hot topic in the 2022 World Cup since the tragic death of 22-year-old Martha Amini.
Armini died in custody in September on suspicion of failing to comply with the country's Islamic dress code. Her death in the country stirred up uproar and led to Iranian players refusing to sing the national anthem before the first World Cup match with England as a protest.
Now, an Iranian professional football player will be executed has attracted attention.
FIFPRO, which represents more than 65,000 football players around the world, issued a statement on Monday night: "FIFPRO is shocked and disgusted by the reports that professional football player Amir Nasr Azadani faces the death penalty in Iran after his country fights for women's rights and basic freedoms. We support Amir and call for the immediate lifting of his punishment."
Iranian media IRANWIRE introduced that Azadani is 26 years old and born in Isfahan, Iran. He originally played for junior teams. He participated in the Iranian Premier League since 2014 and has played for three clubs. One of them is at Tabriz Tractor Club, a football club located in northwestern Iran, owned by Iranian tractor manufacturing company, and the team logo also has a tractor pattern.
In 2018, Azadani's cruciate ligament ruptured and was removed from the Ries Tractor team after a year of absence from training and competition.
In 2020, he became a member of the Gol-e Rayhan football team in Iran. A year later, he was injured again and underwent leg surgery. He was also invited to join the Iranian national youth team.
Former Iranian national football player Mehdi Mahadawikia claimed on his social media that he first met Nasr Azadani was in the Iranian national youth team training camp in Germany.
Iranian official charges Azadani is linked to a murder crime. The Iranian Embassy in China announced on December 13 that it would refute the rumor that Iranian players would be executed for supporting women:
IRANWIRE said that Azadani did participate in some national protests, but he never appeared in areas where members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basky Militia were killed. He appeared in the protest for a short time and only shouted slogans for a few hours.
IRANWIRE also introduced that the Iranian authorities threatened Azadani not to speak out again, and kept his family silent many times and did not disclose any news to foreign media, so as to obtain a possibility of a commutation of sentence.
In addition to the Iranian national football players who have participated in the World Cup, many well-known Iranian figures and active and retired players have expressed their support for him.
Ali Karimi and Mehdi Mahada Wikiah are the most well-known former Iranian footballers who have spoken on national protests and suppression of protesters in recent months. Karimi called for the revocation of the verdict on Azadani, who had seen Amir in the training camp of the German national youth team and expressed concerns after hearing the news of the verdict. Among the Iranian national football players in the World Cup match, only the team goalkeeper Alireza Belanwande called for the revocation of the execution on his social media, but did not mention the names of the people to be executed, nor the names of those in danger of being executed.
According to IRANWIRE, all strata of Iranian society are affected by the authorities' national protest movement that began more than 12 weeks ago. Security forces killed hundreds and detained thousands, while the justice system imposed heavy sentences on those who took to the streets to demand more freedom and women's rights.
Iran's sports community cannot be immune to suppression.In this report, IRANWIRE reviews the list of athletes killed, imprisoned or under pressure from authorities, as well as those at risk of execution.
Athlete killed by security forces
Ali Mozaffari
htmlOn September 21, Tehran Sepa Volleyball Club player Ali Mozaffari died after being hit by security forces in the protests in the northeastern city of Guchang .
Mohamed Gemifa
htmlOn October 22, in the southwestern city of Dezfur, security forces shot 22-year-old football player Mohamed Gemifa from behind, and he died in the hospital two weeks later.
Gemifa plays for Jondishapur Omid football team of Diz Fuller. He will join Omidhaye Zob-e Ahan team in the central city of Furad Shahel next season. His family has been under pressure from authorities for days to not release his death.
Esan Gasemifah
htmlOn December 5, 32-year-old Esan Gasemifah was buried in his hometown of Kermanshah province Kangavar. Esan Gasemifal has won provincial and national championships many times and has participated in international competitions. Human rights website Hengaw wrote that Ghasemifar was on the Instagram live show when government forces surrounded him and the communication was cut off. According to the family, a few hours later, authorities informed his relatives that they could come and take his body away. His relatives were under pressure from security agencies and said he died of heart disease .
Athlete in danger of execution
Palem Pavari
Iranian swimming champion Palem Pavari is sued for launching a "war with God", which will be sentenced to death. Pavari, 26, was born in Sakz, Kurdistan Province. After completing his studies and serving in the military, he settled in Tehran . According to IRANWIRE, Pavari was driving home from get off work when she arrived at the protest site.
A relative told IRANWIRE: "At the same time, the special motorcycle troops began to destroy the cars. Some cars in front of the Pavari were able to escape from the scene... Some people left their cars and escaped, but Pavari stayed in the car." Pavari, who has won provincial and national swimming competitions, is a swimming coach.
Sahand Nurmuhammadzad
was arrested on October 4 in a protest on Tehran's Ashrafi Esfahani expressway, and his designated lawyer announced a month later that he was sentenced to death for launching a "war against God." He was accused of "destroying highway guardrails" and "setting fires of trash cans", which he denied. In the audio file provided to IRANWIRE, he said that from the first moment he was arrested, the prison guards told him that he would be executed. Nurmuhammad Zad is a bodybuilder who has won medals in provincial and national competitions.
In addition, several Iranian athletes were arrested. So far, Iran has publicly executed two people, both related to anti-government protests, one was sentenced to hanging and one was publicly hung on crane on charges of killing two members of the security force.
