The previous nationwide staff participant has been charged with ‘spreading propaganda’ as authorities proceed a crackdown on anti-government protests.
Iranian safety forces have arrested fashionable soccer participant Voria Ghafouri on fees of getting “tarnished the popularity of the nationwide staff” and spreading “propaganda” towards Iran.
Ghafouri, who’s of Kurdish origins and has strongly supported the protests which have rocked the nation since September, was arrested after a membership coaching session on Thursday, the Fars information company reported.
Ghafouri has represented Iran’s nationwide soccer staff up to now, however was not referred to as up for this 12 months’s World Cup in Qatar, the place the nationwide staff avoided singing the nationwide anthem at their first match towards England on Monday.
Ghafouri, who has performed for Esteghlal, certainly one of Iran’s greatest golf equipment, is among the many most outstanding figures arrested in a widescale crackdown on protesters, together with within the western Kurdish areas from which he hails, with rights teams saying dozens have been killed during the last week alone.
Iran has seen greater than two months of demonstrations, sparked by the demise in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, herself of Kurdish origin, after she was arrested for an alleged breach of the nation’s strict costume code for girls.
On his social media accounts, Ghafouri had strongly backed the protests and reported visiting Kurdish-populated areas of western Iran to specific solidarity with households of these killed in the course of the protests.
Kurdish-focused rights group Hengaw, based mostly in Norway, additionally stated he had been arrested, sharing an Instagram image that the participant had posted of himself in conventional Kurdish costume.
Soccer participant Voria Ghafouri, from Sanandaj and a former member of Iran’s nationwide staff who now performs for Foolad F.C, was kidnapped by Iranian authorities authorities.
Thursday, November 24, 2022#JinaAmini pic.twitter.com/4atp80DBup— Hengaw Group for Human Rights (@Hengaw_English) November 24, 2022
Ghafouri gained specific reward for visiting the younger daughter of a girl who had been killed within the protests and giving her a pill as a present.
“Voria stood behind his folks and paid for it. We also needs to stand behind him and never let him be alone,” tweeted United States-based activist Masih Alinejad.
Former Iranian worldwide footballer Ali Karimi, one other outspoken supporter of the protests, additionally posted the identical picture on his Twitter account in assist of the participant.
“For the honourable Voria,” he wrote.
Ghafouri was previously Esteghlal’s captain earlier than his contract was terminated and he moved to Foolad Khuzestan.