Iran activists urge England fans to join Mahsa Amini protest during World Cup opener

'We need their help...'

Activists have called for England supporters in Qatar to lend their voices to a protest against Iran's clerical establishment during their World Cup opener in Doha next week. Protests in Tehran erupted in September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody in the Iranian capital after being detained by morality police for allegedly breaking strict hijab rules. Similar protests broke out in other towns and cities across the country, prompting a violent crackdown from authorities which, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, has resulted in the deaths of 341 protestors since September 17. https://twitter.com/HRANA_English/status/1592109962838216704

Activists ask England and Wales fans to help

England play their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday, their first game of the 2022 World Cup. In a bid to raise awareness of the ongoing tensions in the country, activists have begun a campaign for Mahsa Amini's name to be chanted by supporters inside the stadium during the 22nd minute of the game. They are also calling for this to be repeated during the country's other group games, against Wales and the United States. https://twitter.com/neginsh/status/1590653641081643009 "We need to remind the world what is happening in Iran," a source told JOE. "We hope England supporters will join us and then the same with Wales and United States in the other games. We need their help."

Calls for Iran's disqualification from World Cup ignored

Iran's national side, managed by former Real Madrid manager Carlos Quieroz, sealed their place at the World Cup with a 1-0 win over neighbouring Iraq in January. There have since been calls for them to be disqualified from the tournament amidst the unrest which has followed the death of Amini. In October, the Ukrainian football federation urged FIFA to remove them over alleged human rights violations and supplying the Russian military with weapons during its continuing invasion of Ukraine. Related links:

• Ukrainian FA demand FIFA to ban Iran from playing in World Cup
• Sergei Palkin calls for Ukraine to replace Iran in the World Cup
• Iranian climber who competed without hijab appears on state TV following concerns she had gone missing