A law firm has sent a letter to FIFA on behalf of a group of former and current Iranian athletes, calling on the Football Federation to suspend the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) and ban it from participating in this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
“Iran’s brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached an inflection point and calls for a clear and decisive distancing from the football and sports world,” read a press release published alongside the letter.
“FIFA’s historic abstinence from political quagmires has often only been tolerated when those situations do not spill over into the arena of football… Football, which should be a safe place for everyone, is not a safe place for women or even men.
“Women have been denied access to stadiums nationwide and have been systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, in stark contrast to FIFA’s values and statutes.”
The letter said the Iranian Football Federation’s actions violated FIFA statutes and regulations.
CNN has reached out to FIFA and FFIRI for comment.
In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by the country’s vice squad for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Iranian authorities have since unleashed a crackdown on protesters who have aligned themselves with the country’s authoritarian regime over a series of grievances.
The letter from the Spanish law firm Ruiz-Huerta and Crespo is signed by former internationals Mehrdad Pooladi and Behshad Yavarzadeh, among others.
The World Cup will take place from November 20th to December 18th. Iran meet England in their first game of football’s flagship event on November 21, followed by a game against Wales on November 25. The nation will also play the United States in its third and final group game on November 29.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect exactly who signed the letter.