Iran threatened relatives of soccer players after not singing the anthem at the World Cup, according to CNN

MADRID, 29 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Government of Iran would have threatened relatives of the players of the soccer team participating in the Qatar World Cup with imprisoning and torturing them if the soccer players "do not behave well", after the controversy over refusing to sing the anthem in the opening match against England, according to sources quoted by the American television network CNN.

This source has highlighted that, after the refusal of the footballers to sing the anthem before their match against the English team, held on November 21, the players were called to a meeting with members of the Revolutionary Guard, who threatened "violence and torture" their relatives if they did not sing the anthem or join the protests against the authorities. After that, the players sang the anthem before the game against Wales, which ended in an Iranian victory.

Thus, this source, who supervises the Iranian security agencies in Qatar on the occasion of the celebration of the World Cup, has stressed that "there are a large number of Iranian security officers in Qatar collecting information and watching the players." In this sense, he has stated that Tehran promised "gifts and cars" to the footballers before the match against England, although they made the threats after the defeat and their refusal to sing the anthem.

Along these lines, he highlighted that Carlos Queiroz, the Iran coach, held another meeting with members of the Revolutionary Guard after these alleged threats, before adding that no details about this alleged meeting have been disclosed. Queiroz, a Portuguese national, defended that Iranian players can protest during the World Cup, as long as it falls within FIFA regulations.

On the other hand, he pointed out that "during the last game against Wales, the regime sent hundreds of actors to create a false sense of support among the fans." For the next match against the United States, the regime plans to significantly increase the number of players to reach several thousand," he stressed.

The match against the United States will take place after the Iranian media called for the expulsion of the North American team after the United States Soccer Federation changed the flag of Iran on its social networks to show support for the demonstrations that have been taking place since September. for the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.

Subsequently, a legal adviser to the Iran Football Federation announced that it will file a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee, while the US federation confirmed that the removal of the US flag emblem was intentional and a gesture of "support for the women in Iran who fight for basic Human Rights".

During the day of this Tuesday, the Revolutionary Guard of Iran has confirmed that more than 300 people have died since the start of the protests, which represents the first official balance since the start of the mobilizations. The figure is lower than that provided by NGOs, which point to more than 400 deaths due to the repression by the security forces.