Iranian footballer sentenced to death for campaigning for women’s rights

Iranian footballer sentenced to execution for ‘campaigning for women’s rights’.
Amir Nasr-Azadani is facing execution amid anti-government protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini in September.

Professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani is reportedly facing execution in Iran for “campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country”.

FifPro, the international players union, said it was “shocked and sickened” at the reports and called for the punishment to be revoked.

There have been widespread anti-government protests in Iran sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody in September having been detained for allegedly failing to follow the country’s Islamic dress code.

A message posted by the official Twitter account of FifPro on Monday said:

FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country.

We stand in solidarity with Amir and call for the immediate removal of his punishment. pic.twitter.com/vPuylCS2ph

— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) December 12, 2022

Two former Iran national team footballers who were arrested on charges relating to the countrywide protests were released from custody last month on bail. Right-back Voria Ghafouri, who was arrested for “tarnishing the reputation of the national team and spreading propaganda against the state”, and former goalkeeper Parviz Boroumand were both detained for attending protest rallies in Tehran.

Their release came just hours before the national team’s final World Cup match against the United States in Qatar, which was deemed a move to try and ease tensions and placate growing anger that had been highlighted by protests at the global football tournament.

Prior to the opening 6-2 defeat to England on Nov 21, the Iran team stood silent when the national anthem was played, something that was interpreted as a show of support for the anti-government protests in their country.

Nasr-Azadani played for Persian Gulf Pro League side Tractor between 2016 and 2018, after a short season-long spell with Rah Ahan in 2015-16. The 26-year-old defender has not played professionally since his last appearance in November 2017.

The Mizan news agency reported on Monday that a second man had been publicly executed in the last week.

Majid Reza Rahnavard, who according to state media had been sentenced to execution after being convicted of killing two members of the Iranian security forces, was hanged in the city of Mashhad. The report added that “he was sentenced to death for ‘waging war against God’ after stabbing to death two members of the security forces”.

The United States State Department condemned Iran for Rahnavard’s execution.

State department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday: “We denounce this draconian treatment in the strongest terms. These harsh sentences and now the first public execution… are meant to intimidate Iran’s people. They’re meant to suppress dissent.”

Amnesty International has said Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people in what it called “sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran”.

Rahnavard’s execution came days after Mohsen Shekari, a man who had been sentenced to death for injuring a security guard with a knife and blocking a street in Tehran, was also hanged in public.