The convictions of footballer Azadani and actress Taraneh Alidoosti show how the regime is pressuring Iranian society to quell popular protests
Anti-regime mobilizations are entering their fourth month and Iranian authorities are targeting public figures participating in or expressing support for the protests. Amir Reza Azadani and Taraneh Alidoosti join the list of those who have suffered reprisals. The first is a former professional football player and could soon be sentenced to death. The courts accuse him of “enmity with God” and say he took part in the November 16 murder of three security officers in Isfahan. Civil rights defenders refute this theory and believe that Azadani is imprisoned for his support for women’s freedoms and rights. The second detainee is one of the most famous actresses in Iranian cinema and is in prison for her comments on Instagram. Part of the country monitors the pulse of the regime and continues on the streets under the slogan “woman, life, freedom”, a slogan that arose after the death of the young Mahsa Amini at the hands of the vice squad. Protesting in Iran is paid with a life sentence.
Azadani is 26 years old and plays as a defender for Iranjavan Busher in the Iranian Third Division. Justice accuses him of the murder of three security officers during the riots that broke out in the center of the country, and the International Football Association (FIFPRO) is “surprised and affected” by the news. The world of Iranian football has been very active since day one and the national team itself refused to sing the national anthem at their first World Cup match in Qatar, in solidarity with the situation in the country. Football legends such as Ali Karimi are critical voices of the regime and the authorities are trying to soften the impact of their messages of support for the demonstrators.
Azadani’s situation has sparked a wave of international solidarity and an artist like Shakira took advantage of the moments before the first whistle in the final in Qatar to write on Twitter, where she has 53 million followers, that “the World Cup, Christmas, no they can be more important than human life, women’s rights and the voices that others want to forcefully silence.” Footballers such as Marc Bartra, Diego Godín or Borja Iglesias have also joined the support campaign calling for an end to the possible execution of the defender.
The Iranian judiciary, according to the Al Jazeera channel, denies that the sentence to die by hanging is final, clarifying that the charges are “armed insurrection” and that the case is pending a thorough investigation by the revolutionary court. Isfahan Chief Judge Asadollah Jafary vowed the court would act “without regard to media campaigns”.
Two executions have been carried out so far, the second in public, and in both cases the processes were very fast and there was “no guarantee” for the accused, according to international organizations such as Amnesty International (AI). There are currently nine people on death row.
In addition to football, Iran has a great international reputation thanks to its cinema and major stars of the sector have made clear their support for the mobilizations. The latest name to appear on the list of critical voices is Taraneh Alidoosti and a comment on her Instagram profile has landed her in jail. The 38-year-old actress, star of the Oscar-winning ‘The Salesman’, was arrested “for her actions in publishing false and distorted content, inciting riots and supporting anti-Iranian movements,” the newspaper reported. Hamshahri’.
This comment was about the execution of young Mohsen Shekari in Mashad and read: “His name was Mohsen Shekari. Any international organization that watches this bloodshed and does nothing is a disgrace to humanity.” These words could cost him a year in prison, according to several local media.
The list of Alidoosti’s colleagues with problems with the law is getting longer as the weeks go by. Actresses Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riah were arrested last month after speaking out against the regime and appearing in uncovered videos, and director Hamid Pourazari and actress Soheila Golestani have also been jailed in recent days. The latter’s “crime” was sharing a video where they said “the show is over and the truth will be revealed soon” or “anonymous people are our real heroes” and in which a whole group of people could be seen as performers without to cover himself with the veil. His video went viral on social media.
Protests following Amini’s death have lasted more than three months, and the human rights group HRANA estimates the number of demonstrators dead at 485, including 68 minors and more than 18,000 detained by security forces. On the part of the regime, the official death toll is 200, including security officers, and there are no records of arrests. The latest official data to be revealed is that of the 400 sentenced to ten years in prison by the Tehran judiciary.
Source: La Verdad
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