Iran threatens players with imprisonment or torture of their relatives if they protest against the regime again at the World Cup

The government of Iran He has threatened the relatives of his national team in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with “imprisonment or torture” if the players of the national team “do not behave” properly in the match they are playing today against the United States team, reported CNN.

Following the Iranian players’ refusal to sing the National Anthem in their first match against England on November 21, the players were called to a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)assured the American chain a source related to the security of the championship.

LOOK; Qatar 2022: Iran wins on the pitch, but loses with divisions off it

According to the sources, Iranian authorities warned the players that their families would face “violence and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or join a political protest against the Tehran regime.

In the second match of the Iranian team, on November 25, in which they beat the Welsh team 2-0, the players did sing the anthem at the beginning of the match, according to television images.

The source consulted by CNN, which closely monitors Iran’s security agencies operating in Qatar during the World Cup, said dozens of IRGC officers had been recruited to control the Iranian players, who are not allowed to mingle outside of the team or meet with foreigners.

“There are a large number of Iranian security officials in Qatar collecting information and monitoring the players”, insisted the chain.

Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach of the Iran national team, met separately with the officials of the IRGC after they had transferred the threats to the Iranian players and their families, said the source.

And, according to the American media, Queiroz has told the Iranian soccer players that they can protest in the World Cup, but only within FIFA rules.

CNN also claims that “In the last game against Wales, the (Ayatollah) regime sent hundreds of actors to create a false sense of support for the team. For the next match against the United States, the regime plans to significantly increase the number of actors present in the stadium,” the source said.

Iran and the United States meet this Tuesday in a crucial match of Group B of the soccer World Cup.

Tehran’s autocratic regime has been facing protests for weeks in various cities across the country that began with the death of the 22-year-old Kurdish girl, Mahsa Amini, but have evolved and now the protesters are calling for the end of the Islamic Republic founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.