Iranian Football Team Navigated Threats After Quiet Protest Following Samak’s Death
The Iranian national football team faced intense pressure during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, balancing expressions of support for protests back home with the very real threat of repercussions from the Iranian regime. The team’s actions drew both praise and criticism, especially in light of the death of Mehran Samak, a young man killed by security forces for celebrating Iran’s elimination from the tournament.
Prior to the World Cup, the team received criticism for meeting with and bowing to President Ebrahim Raisi.Though, once the competition began, players cautiously signaled solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran. Team captain Ehsan Hajsafi spoke out ahead of their first match, acknowledging the difficult situation in Iran. ”The conditions in our country are not right,” he said. ”We are here, but it dose not meen that we shoudl not be their voice or we must not respect them.”
The team’s first visible act of protest came before their match against England: players remained silent during the Iranian national anthem,widely interpreted as a show of support for the demonstrators. This act of defiance followed the death of Mehran Samak, who was reportedly killed by security forces in the city of Bandar Anzali after celebrating Iran’s loss to England, a result that dashed hopes of advancing in the tournament. Some criticized midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi for not publicly acknowledging Samak’s death.
Following the silent protest, CNN reported, citing an anonymous source, that the team was threatened by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The threats explicitly stated that the players’ families would face “violence and torture” if they engaged in any further political protest against the government.
In their subsequent matches against Wales and the United States, the team sang the national anthem, a shift that many believe was a direct result of the threats received. The Associated Press reported on the broader criticism leveled at the team for not being more vocal about the regime’s violent suppression of dissent on the world stage.
