Iran’s top football manager among 8 summoned over protest comment


TEHRAN: The coach of one of Iran’s best-known football teams is among eight personalities and politicians questioned for their comments on the protests that rocked the country, according to justice.
Yahya Golmohammadi, coach of Persepolis FCwas questioned with two former reformist deputies, Mahmoud Sadeghi and Parvaneh Salahshouri, on “the publication of undocumented or offensive content”, said the Mizan Online justice site on Saturday evening.
Golmohammadi strongly criticized Iran’s national team players for not “bringing the voice of oppressed people to the ears of the authorities”.
The comment came after the Iranian national team met with President Ebrahim Raisi last week ahead of their participation in the World Cup which begins in Qatar on Sunday.
The Islamic republic has been rocked by protests since the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Aminia 22-year-old Iranian woman of Kurdish origin, after her arrest for alleged violation of Iranian dress rules for women.
Thousands of people have been arrested after what officials call “riots” which they say were fomented by foreign enemies.
Both ex-MPs took to Twitter to support the protests and denounced the authorities’ use of force against protesters.
According to Mizan, five actresses including Mitra Hajjar and Baran Kosari were also summoned, for publishing “provocative content”.
“Following unsubstantiated written comments about recent events, as well as the publication of provocative material in support of these riots by political figures and celebrities”, the eight individuals were summoned on Saturday by the public prosecutor of the Republic of Tehran, Mizan Online said.
On Sunday, Golmohammadi and Kosari’s Instagram accounts were no longer available online.
Prominent Iranian ex-footballers have expressed support for the protesters, and national team players have been called on by activists to use the World Cup to show solidarity with the protesters who have been killed.
In a friendly against Nicaragua earlier this month, only two players sang the national anthem. The others remained silent.
Figures from Iran’s film industry have also spoken out for the protesters.
On Saturday evening, Iranian director Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi won the Etoile d’Or at the Marrakech International Film Festival for his first feature film “A Tale of Shemroon”.
He dedicated his award to “all women in Iran”.



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