Iran's footballers defy the regime

Kan English

Iran’s players declined to sing their national anthem before their World Cup match with England in an apparent expression of support for anti-government protests in their home country.

Iran state TV cut its coverage of the anthem and switched to a previously shown wide shot of the stadium.

Mass protests have been met with a fierce crackdown in recent months.

They have been sparked by the death in custody in September of Masha Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly breaking the strict rules around head coverings.

Human rights activists have said more than 400 protesters have been killed and 16,800 others arrested in a crackdown by Iran's security forces.

KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Dr Thamar Gindin from Haifa university’s Ezri Center for Iran and Persian Gulf states and the author of the Enriched Iranium podcast, and asked her if she was surprised by the players’ protest.

(Photo:AP)

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