Iranian players run the risk of imperilling their family members in the wake of the anti-establishment protest they held by declining to sing the national anthem of Iran which did not go unnoticed by the whole world. Iran’s World Cup footballers have been allegedly given threats that entail imprisonment and torture that may be inflicted on their families if they fail to “behave” during their match against the USA, as per a report by CNN.
It is reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held talks with Iran's football teams after they refused to sing their national anthem in their opening tournament match against England. The nation’s anthem expresses its desire for the Islamic Republic to live forever. In the second game against Wales Iran footballers could be seen half-heartedly singing the Iranian national anthem under mounting pressure.
The move to stand up to Iran's autocratic regime now looms large with a massive implication for Iranian football players. The incendiary act has rubbed the Iranian regime the wrong way so much so that the Iranian government has sent “a large number of Iranian security officers” according to a detailed CNN report. They are not allowed to speak to foreigners or foreign media about the domestic matter, or spend company time with fans outside of their environment.
It's also alleged that the Iranian regime have paid for a number of “actors” to be present in the stands of Iran’s World Cup matches and that this number will rise into the thousands for the nation’s final group game against the USA on Tuesday.
A source told CNN: “There are a large number of Iranian security officers in Qatar collecting information and monitoring the players.
The defiant actions are prompted by the ongoing protests in Iran in the light of the death of 21-year-old Mahsa Amini. She was beaten to death by morality police for wearing her headscarf improperly. Since then Iran has been in the grip of relentless protests that have led to actions such as a protest from the Iranian government.
Last week, former Iran international footballer Voria Ghafouri was arrested on the grounds of having “tarnished the reputation of the national team and spread propaganda against the state." That came one day before Iran played Wales.
