Iran: the family of footballer Ali Daei banned from leaving the territory

Iranian soccer star former national team coach Ali Daei in Tehran on January 14, 2009. (Illustrative image).

© Hasan Sarbakhshian / AP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Among the figures supporting the protests against the Iranian regime is football star Ali Daei.

The latter, who resides in Germany, said on Monday, December 26 that his family had been prevented from leaving Iranian territory, while according to him, his wife and daughter were to meet him in Dubai for a vacation.

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They both got on the plane from Tehran to Dubai on Monday, December 26.

But the aircraft was diverted to the Iranian island of Kish, where the footballer's family had to get off to return to Iran.

The former Bayern Munich striker claims to have had no further explanation.

"

They were not arrested

," he added.

“ 

No one has given me an answer about this incident.

I really don't know what the reason for this decision is.

 »

At the beginning of December, the Iranian justice had sealed the jewelry store and the restaurant of Ali Daei.

In question, tweets dating from September in which the footballer calls on the regime to "

solve the problems of the Iranian people

 " instead of resorting to repression, violence and arrests.

► To read also: Touraj Atabaki, historian: "We are witnessing the beginning of the end of the Islamic regime in Iran"

Threat

According to the Iranian news agency Irna, Ali Daei's wife had promised to inform the authorities if she wanted to leave the country.

His passport had been confiscated from him for a few days by the police because of " 

his relations with groups hostile to the Islamic revolution and rioters

 ", according to the vocabulary of Iranian justice.

The football legend also says he has been the target of threats since he supported protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died on September 16, three days after she was arrested by vice police who blamed her. to violate the strict dress code for women.

State media confirmed that the athlete's family had been banned from leaving the country because of their " 

association 

" with

anti-government groups

.

► To read also: Iran: 2022, a year of crises

(

And with

AFP)

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