Group of prominent Iranian sports figures In Iran calls on FIFA to ban Iranian Football Federation from World Cup

CNN
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A law firm has sent a letter to FIFA on behalf of a group of former and current Iranian sports figures calling on football’s governing body to suspend Iranian players. Football Federation (FFIRI) and banned it from this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

“Iran’s brutality and belligerence against its own people has reached its peak, demanding a clear and uncompromising separation from the world of football and sport,” a press release read with the content. content of the letter.

“Fifa’s avoidance of historical political quagmire is often tolerated only when those situations do not spill over into the realm of football… Football, which should be a safe place for everyone, is not a safe space for women or even men.

“Women have been consistently denied access to stadia across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which is completely contrary to FIFA’s values ​​and regulations.”

The letter states that the actions of the Iranian football federation violate the statues and FIFA regulations.

CNN has reached out to FIFA and FFIRI for comment.

In September, 22 years old Mahsa Amini died after she was detained by the country’s ethics police for apparently not wearing the hijab properly. Iranian authorities have since launched a brutal crackdown on protesters, who hold discontent with the country’s dictatorship.

The letter, sent by the Spanish law firms Ruiz-Huerta and Crespo, was signed by former national team members Mehrdad Pooladi and Behshad Yavarzadeh.

The World Cup runs from November 20 to December 18. Iran faces England in the first match of football’s premier event on November 21, followed by a match against Wales on November 25. 11. The country will also face the United States in the third place match. and the final match of the group stage on November 29.

Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the person who signed the letter.