People Praise Footballer Excluded For Criticizing Government

Iran has seen more than two months of demonstrations, sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, herself of Kurdish origin, after she was arrested for an alleged breach of the country’s strict dress code for women. On his social media accounts, Ghafouri had strongly backed the protests and reported visiting Kurdish-populated areas of western Iran to express solidarity with families of those killed during the protests.