A record-breaking Iranian footballer who criticised the authorities’ crackdown on anti-regime protesters has stated his household have been prevented from leaving the nation.
Ali Daei, who scored 109 worldwide objectives for Iran, probably the most for any nation earlier than Cristiano Ronaldo broke his file, stated his spouse and daughter have been questioned by officers after a flight they have been on was diverted.
They left the Iranian capital of Tehran legally, the previous footballer stated, earlier than their aircraft made an unscheduled cease on Kish Island within the Persian Gulf.
Daei, 53, stated his daughter was launched however the plane doorways had already closed by then. His household have been planning to journey to Dubai and return subsequent week, he stated.
He has publicly supported anti-government protests that erupted after the dying of a girl in police custody.
He had his passport briefly confiscated after returning house earlier this yr.
On social media, the previous workforce captain had urged the federal government to “solve the problems of the Iranian people rather than using repression, violence and arrests”.
Flight-tracking web site Flightradar24 lists Mahan Air Flight W563 as being diverted to Kish Island earlier than flying to Dubai a number of hours later.
Both the airline and the Iranian authorities declined to remark.
The semiofficial Tasnim information company, believed to be near Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, stated Daei’s spouse was given with a journey ban earlier this month due to her assist for the protests.
His spouse tried to illegally bypass the ban, it stated, with out offering additional element, including her last vacation spot was the US.
Daei scored extra worldwide objectives than anybody else earlier than he stopped taking part in and began managing his nation as a substitute.
Ronaldo broke Daei’s file final yr and stays the world-leader with 118 worldwide objectives for Portugal.
Daei stays in second place with 109, adopted by Argentina’s Lionel Messi with 98.
He is certainly one of a number of Iranian public figures to again latest protests in opposition to the Islamic theocracy.
Nationwide protests erupted over the dying in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for sporting “inappropriate attire” beneath Iran’s interpretation of the Islamic gown code.
Amir Nasr-Azadani, 26, a footballer, faces the dying penalty for collaborating in nationwide protests.
The authorities have blamed the latest unrest on overseas adversaries such because the US and Israel.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated on Sunday it had arrested seven folks concerned within the protests with a “direct link” to Britain.
Source: information.sky.com”