Iran, the goalkeeper of the national team Niazmand pays bail to 20 arrested with the World Cup prize – Corriere.it

Twenty the number of people that the second goalkeeper of the Iranian national team, Payam Niazmandhelped get out of prison paying them bail. To do this, he used the prize for attending the World Cup in Qatar, of around 9,000 euros. The player, top goalkeeper of the Persian Gulf Pro League, the local Serie A, preferred to use the money to help eighteen men and two women sentenced to three years in prison in the province of Isfahan, and unable to pay the costs on their own due to of debts.

The reason why these men and women were in prison is not specified, it may not be related to the protests that have paralyzed the country for months after the death of Masha Amini. In any case, Payam Niazmand’s gesture will go down in history, as will what was done with his team in Qatar.

In fact, if Iran will not be remembered for its results, finishing third in the group stage, it will be the choice of the players not to sing the anthem during the pre-match of the first match against England, as a sign of solidarity with the demonstrators.

Niazmand’s story is not isolated. In recent days, the Iranian striker of the national team and Porto Mehdi Terami has released a message on social media against the regime: Justice cannot be done with a noose – he wrote -. What society will find peace with daily bloodshed and executions? The post arrived a few hours after the news of the hanging of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, aged 22 and 39 respectively.

But from the very beginning there was no shortage of positions taken by the players. Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun had already expressed his indignation against the regime in September, a few hours before the national team took the field in a friendly match against Senegal, hiding the emblem under a black garment.