Ali Karimi and Azmoun call on Iran to protest the Mahsa murder

They called him “the Maradona of Asia” for his great career as a footballer, and today that he has stopped he finds himself dribbling the Pasdaran. Mohammad Ali Karimi, former captain of Iran, is wanted by the Guards of the Islamic Revolution for supporting the protests for the killing of Mahsa Amini, a girl beaten to death, probably by the Iranian religious police, for not wearing her veil correctly. .

The appeal

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Ali Karimi is 43 years old and stopped playing in 2014 after a long career as an attacking midfielder, in which he also made 33 appearances for Bayern Munich and in which he became the fourth Iranian ever to win the Asian Golden Ball. In his country he is a star, and today he is wanted for having exploited his popularity to fuel protests against the police. “Il mago” asked the more than 12 million followers on social networks to take to the streets and share the videos of the popular uprising on the web. Also explaining how to get a VPN connection in the event of a blackout in the internet and asking the army not to go against civilians, to prevent “the blood of the innocents” from being shed. Because? “I only wish peace and prosperity for my people,” he tweeted.

What happens in Iran

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Ali Karimi, a legend in his country, was the first public figure to attack the religious police for the murder of Mahsa Amini, asking them to be wary of the “lies” spread by the state and instead rely on the version of the family, which points the finger. right against the police. The protests in Iran started 11 days ago and have become a mass phenomenon, with the cry of “death to the dictator” (addressed to the Supreme Leader of the country, Ali Khamenei). The Iranian state TV speaks of 41 deaths among protesters and policemen – but other associations report higher numbers – while there are over 1,400 arrests since the beginning of the demonstrations. Many women participated by taking off their veils, burning it or cutting their hair in the square. One of them, Hadis Najafi, 20 years old and one of the most media-friendly faces of the protest, was killed a few days ago by six gunshots.

Another battle

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Mahsa’s story is only the latest in which Ali Karimi has exposed himself politically. Indeed, “Il Maradona d’Asia” owes much of its popularity to his social commitment. In 2009 he was suspended from the national team for wearing green cuffs, the color symbol of the protest against electoral fraud in his country. Since that time he has opposed the Iranian regime several times. His campaigns spanned several fronts: from protesting the ban on women from entering stadiums to protesting Tehran’s support for radical militia groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Gaza. Today, the pro-government news agency Fars calls him a “rioter”, invites the Revolutionary Guards (also known as “Pasdaran”) to “take care of him.” my land? “.

Azmoun risks the World Cup

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Ali Karimi was the first footballer to encourage the protests, but not the last. He was joined by Sardar Azmoun, the “Iranian Messi” courted in the past by Juve who now plays at Bayer Leverkusen. “The simplicity with which they are killing people is a scandal. Long live Iranian women,” he wrote on Instagram. Unlike Ali Karimi, he is still in business and these few lines could cost him dearly. Specifically, participation in the World Cup at the end of November. Azmoun knows it, but he doesn’t care: “Due to some rules of the national team we can’t speak, but I can’t stand silence anymore. If they want to cross me from the squad list, they’ll do it,” he added before all the squads were mysteriously canceled. content from your account. Sport has also taken sides: today, nothing is more important than the future of Iranian women.