A group of Iranian athletes is demanding that FIFA suspend the Iranian Football Association and thus exclude it from the World Cup.
“It’s time to act“, says a letter from the group sent to the FIFA Council on Tuesday (18.10.2022). The most important body of the world association will meet in New Zealand on Saturday at 11 a.m. local time.
Renowned sports lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo, who represents the group and also sent the letter, hopes the FIFA Council will meet at the meeting in Auckland will deal with the claim. So far, according to de Dios Crespo, there has been no reaction from FIFA.
Should this remain so, he announced “further steps” in an interview with the sports show, such as a lawsuit before the CAS, the highest sports court, before which he has already conducted a number of processes.
The group also justifies its demand with the violence against women in particular, with which the Iranian regime wants to put down the protests that have been going on for weeks.
Group sees violation of FIFA statute
However, in order to show FIFA a legal way to suspend the Iranian association, it specifically refers to some articles of the FIFA statutes. Article 19 states that each member association must make decisions independently, without interference from politics or business, for example.
Lawyer de Dios Crespo sees this article as offending as Iranian women are not allowed in stadiums to watch football matches. However, this is not a requirement of the Iranian association, but the will of the regime of the Islamic Republic.
“The Iranian federation obviously lacks the autonomy to implement the statutes and regulations of FIFA and – this is the most important thing – to respect the self-imposed values“It says in the letter, which is available to the sports show in its entirety.
Therefore, FIFA could exclude Iran with reference to a violation of Article 19. There is also the possibility of pointing out the constant violation of human rights, but de Dios Crespo sees this as legally more difficult.
Iran in a World Cup group with the USA
As the World Cup, in which Iran meets England, Wales and its political nemesis USA, begins on November 20th, time is of the essence, the letter says.
The scoreboard at the World Cup group draw with Group B
The chances of the group being successful appear slim. The ban on women visiting stadiums has been in place for years. It’s unlikely that FIFA will take it as an occasion for sanctions a few weeks before their biggest tournament.
The other way pointed out by de Dios Crespo, to prosecute Iran for constant human rights violations, seems even more absurd in the face of a World Cup in a country that has been criticized for its human rights violations since it was awarded.
However, the pressure on the world association is increasing. Firstly, because the group represented by de Dios Crespo is the third well-known group calling for Iran’s exclusion. The women’s rights movement had previouslyOpen Stadiums” and the campaign “United for NavidThe group consists mainly of Iranian athletes in exile, who were founded after the death of Navid Afkari. The wrestler, who is very popular in Iran, was executed after a show trial in autumn 2020, despite international protests.
On the other hand, there is increasing evidence that Iran is providing massive support to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Iran should not only deliver drones to attack civilian targets in Ukraine, but Iranian experts should also instruct Russian soldiers in the operation of such drones.
Ukraine has already threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Tehran. The European Union and the USA are considering tightening the sanctions that have been imposed for years.
Names of signers only partially known
It is only partially known who signed the latest letter to the FIFA Council. The majority of the group did not want to reveal their name, said de Dios Crespo. However, he confirmed to the sports show that four athletes are listed by the “FAZ”. The newspaper already reported on the letter on Thursday (October 20th, 2022) and named the “FIFA-accredited referee Mohammadreza Faghani, the “brother of the world-class referee Alireza Faghani”, the “former world-class judoka living in Germany and today’s coach Vahid Sarlak as well as the former national football player Shiva Amini” among the signatories.
They join the group of courageous athletes, to which Elnaz Rekabi belongs in the first place. The climber competed at the Asian Championships in Seoul without the headscarf prescribed by the mullahs. This was seen as a sign of solidarity with many women in Iran and an exceptionally courageous protest against the regime. Rekabi was celebrated for it on social media and when she returned to Tehran. The fact that she has meanwhile declared that the missing headscarf was an accident indicates the massive pressure that was exerted on her.