A former member of the Iranian national football team has been arrested today by security authorities for criticizing the government's handling of the months-long demonstrations that have enveloped the Islamic Republic.
Voria Ghafouri, who was eliminated from Iran's national team before the World Cup in Qatar, was arrested during a training session with his local team, Foolad Khuzestan.
According to the Fars News agency, the 35-year-old was detained on suspicion of "tarnishing the reputation of the national team and spreading propaganda against the state."
Additionally, Ghafouri was charged with aiding "rioters," a phrase the Islamic world uses to describe the anti-government protestors who have been demonstrating since Mahsa Amini passed away on September 16 while in the morality police of Iran.
Three days after her detention in Tehran for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code for women, the 22-year-old woman passed away.
There have been particularly violent protests and a crackdown by security forces in the country's western Kurdish area.
Ghafouri, a Kurdish Iranian, has been a vociferous opponent of the Islamic regime and its violent crackdown on the rallies, which has resulted in at least 400 fatalities.
Although he was listed as a part of Iran's World Cup team for 2018, his name was not included in the starting lineup for this year's World Cup in Qatar.
Before his contract was terminated and he moved to Foolad Khuzestan, Ghafouri was the captain of Esteghlal, the top club in Iran.
Many followers speculated that Esteghlal's termination of his career was retaliation for his vocal support of previous demonstrations that flared this summer.
Ghafouri has already complained about Iran's combative foreign policy, which has resulted in crushing Western sanctions, as well as the long-standing ban on women spectators at men's football matches.
The Iranian government summoned Ghafouri in 2019 after he challenged the country's hawkish foreign policy. He claimed that Iranians were being harmed by the nation's policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria.
His detention comes after Tehran officials warned Iran's World Cup footballers they would be punished for their 'insulting' choice to skip the national anthem before their match against England in Qatar.
An Iranian official warned that the squad would suffer consequences if they decline to sing Iran's national anthem in their remaining World Cup matches, therefore all eyes will be on the team on Friday when they take the field against Wales.