In recent weeks, Iran has been one of the protagonists of the World Cup in Qatar, and not only because of the game of its selection. The protests that have been taking place in the country after the murder of the young Masha Amini have had worldwide repercussions, and have made the leap to the sporting sphere. Proof of this was the debut of the Iranian team in the World Cup against England, where the players refused to sing the anthem.
On this occasion, it has been the Federation of Professional Football Players (FIFPRO) who has raised its voice at the news that the Iranian player Amir Nasr-Azadani has been sentenced to death after participating in protests against the government and for defending the rights of women in the country. Through a message on his Twitter account, FIFPRO has requested the immediate elimination of the punishment imposed on the footballer.
As reported by IranWire, Nasr-Azadani and his family have been threatened several times. Amnesty International has also spoken out in this regard and has published a statement calling on the international community "to use all necessary means to pressure the Iranian government to stop executions and the death penalty."
Nasr-Azadani is not internationally recognized, having only played for clubs in his country, but Iranian national team players such as Bayer Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun have also protested against the regime. After the murder of Masha Amini, Azmoun wrote the following message on his social networks, which hours later was deleted: "I cannot remain silent. If the punishment is to be expelled from the national team, it is a small price to pay for a single lock of hair. hair of an Iranian woman. They should be ashamed of how easily they can murder a person. Long live Iranian women."
On the other hand, last Monday the Iranian authorities publicly executed the wrestling fighter Majid Reza Rahnavard for the murder of two security agents. The young man was arrested on November 19, and the trial was held on the 29th. That same day his execution was decided after, supposedly, confessing his crimes.
