Iranian authorities detain a footballer after official criticism

Former member of Iran’s national football team Voria Ghafouri has reportedly been detained for criticizing the regime, according to state-affiliated media in the country.

He was detained on Thursday, according to semi-official news outlets Tasnim and Fars, for disrespecting the government and the national football team, which is presently competing in the FIFA World Cup.

Ghafouri, who was not selected to represent Iran at the World Cup, has long been a vocal opponent of Iranian leadership and policies.

The biggest challenge to Iran’s Islamic theocracy in more than a decade, anti-government protests have been roiling the country for more than two months.

Prior to Friday’s World Cup match between Iran and Wales, news of his detention broke. The Iranian national team refused to participate in the national anthem before their opening match against England, while some supporters demonstrated during the game.

The protests began in September after a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman died while in the morality police’s care. They quickly turned into widespread protests demanding the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. There have been particularly violent protests and a crackdown by security forces in the country’s western Kurdish region.

Ghafouri, who belongs to Iran’s Kurdish minority, has previously criticized the actions of the government. If that played a role in the decision not to select him for the national team, the officials have not stated it.