The Iranian nationwide staff has toed a advantageous line between expressing help for protesters again house and risking critical repercussions from the regime for doing so. They’ve been criticized for not being extra vocal concerning the regime’s violent suppression of dissent on the world stage, the Related Press reported. Some additionally referred to as out Ezatolahi for failing to say that Samak was killed by safety forces.
The staff additionally confronted criticism early on for assembly with and bowing to President Ebrahim Raisi earlier than they traveled to Qatar for the World Cup. In the course of the competitors, nonetheless, the gamers appeared to cautiously categorical solidarity with protesters again house.
Forward of its first match, staff captain Ehsan Hajsafi acknowledged the oppression of Iranians again house, saying the “circumstances in our nation should not proper.”
“We’re right here, but it surely doesn’t imply that we shouldn’t be their voice or we should not respect them,” he mentioned.
The teammates additionally stayed silent because the Iranian nationwide anthem performed at their first match in opposition to England, in what many interpreted as a present of help to protesters.
They have been later threatened by the members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and advised their households would face “violence and torture” in the event that they participated in any political protest in opposition to the federal government, CNN reported, citing an nameless supply.
The staff joined in singing the nationwide anthem of their different two video games, in opposition to Wales after which the US.
