FIFPRO reacts as Iran sentence footballer to death

The world union of professional footballers, FIFPRO, has said it was “shocked” by the news of Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani being sentenced to death in connection with protests which have shaken the Asian country for three months.

FIFPRO disclosed this in a tweet via its Twitter handle on Monday night.

“FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country,” FIFPRO tweeted.

It added, “We stand in solidarity with Amir and call for the immediate removal of his punishment.”

Nasr-Azadani last played as a defender for the Persian Gulf Pro League club Tractor.

Recall that Nasr-Azadani, 26, was arrested in the city of Isfahan two days after supposedly taking part in an “armed riot” in which three security personnel were killed in September, Isfahan’s judiciary chief Abdullah Jafari was quoted by Iran’s ISNA news agency as saying on Sunday.

Jafari said Nasr-Azadani had been accused of “rebellion,” among others and therefore assisting in “Moharabeh” or “enmity against God,” a capital crime in the Islamic republic.