Protest-backing soccer star’s family kept from leaving Iran | CBC Sports
A outstanding former soccer participant in Iran who has expressed help for anti-government protests says his spouse and daughter have been prevented from leaving the nation on Monday after their aircraft made an unannounced stopover en path to Dubai.
Ali Daei, who had his personal passport briefly confiscated after returning to the nation earlier this 12 months, mentioned his spouse and daughter departed from the capital, Tehran, legally earlier than the flight made an unannounced cease on Kish Island within the Persian Gulf, the place they have been questioned by authorities.
He mentioned his daughter was launched however the doorways to the flight have been closed by then. He mentioned his household had deliberate to journey to Dubai and return subsequent week.
The flight-tracking web site Flightradar24 confirmed Mahan Air Flight W563 being diverted to Kish Island earlier than touring onward to Dubai a pair hours later.
There was no remark from the airline or Iranian authorities.
The semiofficial Tasnim news company, believed to be near the Revolutionary Guard, mentioned a journey ban was imposed on Daei’s spouse earlier this month due to her help for the protests. It mentioned she tried to illegally bypass the ban, with out elaborating, and that her last vacation spot was the U.S. The reviews didn’t title his spouse or daughter, who are usually not public figures.
The protests quickly unfold throughout the nation and escalated into requires the overthrow of the theocracy established after the 1979 revolution, making it one of many largest challenges to clerical rule in over 4 a long time.
At least 507 protesters have been killed and greater than 18,500 folks have been arrested, in keeping with Human Rights Activists in Iran, a bunch that has intently monitored the unrest. Iranian authorities haven’t launched figures for these killed or arrested.
Before his passport was confiscated, Daei, a high worldwide aim scorer and former Iranian group captain, had urged the federal government on social media to “solve the problems of the Iranian people rather than using repression, violence and arrests.” He later mentioned it was returned to him.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard mentioned in a press release Sunday that it had arrested seven people within the southeastern metropolis of Kerman with a “direct link” to Britain who have been concerned within the protests. It mentioned some members of the community had twin nationality, with out elaborating.
Iran has arrested numerous Iranians with twin nationality in recent times and convicted them of state safety offenses in closed-door trials. Rights teams say such detainees are denied due course of and accuse Iran of utilizing them as bargaining chips with the West, one thing Iranian officers deny.
