Iran’s national team, in a game against England on Monday, refused to sing during the playing of the country’s national anthem, in what was widely seen as a silent acknowledgment of the protests. Iran’s national broadcaster showed selected images of spectators cheering on Iran during the match, but not the political signs carried by some.
The protest in Iran began in September after a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody. The uprising against Iran’s religious leaders has spread across the country and sparked a fierce and deadly crackdown, including in ethnic Kurdish areas, where human rights groups say dozens of people have been killed in the past few days.
The UN Human Rights Council in a vote Thursday launched an investigation into alleged rights abuses in Iran’s response to the protest movement. “Today’s session leaves no doubt that HRC members recognize the gravity of the situation in Iran, and the fact-finding mission established today will help ensure that those engaged in the repression ongoing violence of the Iranian people are identified and their actions documented,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Ghafouri, who is Kurdish, has criticized government officials on social media in the past and recently posted messages on Twitter condemning the killing of Kurds. Iranian media did not specify the reasons for his arrest, but said the charges included “spreading propaganda against” the Islamic republic.
He has been called up several times over the past decade for the national team and has played for several Iranian club teams, including Foolad Khuzestan, his current side. ISNA, a semi-official news agency, reported on Thursday that Hamidreza Garshasbi, the team’s CEO, had resigned, and said the reason for his resignation had not yet been announced.
Even before the start of the World Cup, some Iranians had called on soccer’s world governing body FIFA to ban the national team, known as Team Melli, in a show of support for the protests. Others argued that Iran’s participation in the World Cup was a boon to the uprising: a high-profile event that gave players and spectators an opportunity to voice their dissent, under the watchful eye international media.
Iran are set to face Wales on Friday.
