A former Iranian international footballer has reportedly disappeared hours after publicly criticising the late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, prompting conflicting accounts from authorities and his family.
Reports indicate that Rashid Mazaheri, a former national team goalkeeper, has not been seen since security operatives allegedly took him from his residence. His whereabouts remain unknown.
The development followed a social media post in which the 36-year-old condemned the late cleric’s leadership and compared him to Satan. According to Iran Insight, Mazaheri lamented what he described as the execution of citizens during Khamenei’s tenure and declared that the era of his rule had ended.
In the post, he wrote:
“Khamenei, know this: your rule over this land has reached its end. The wall
of fear has collapsed, and from the ruins of tyranny, Iran has risen tall.
"We
haven't watched football, wrestling, or any sport for a long time as long as
our honorable athletes are in solitary confinement and under torture by the
terrorist regime in Iran."
He also invoked historic Persian figures, including Kaveh, Cyrus and Darius.
IranWire reported that security agents later arrived at his home and removed him in the presence of his wife. Since then, there has been no confirmed information regarding his location.
Maryam Abdollahi, his wife, alleged that his life could be at risk and said she had been unable to establish contact with him since the incident. In a statement, she wrote:
"I say clearly and without ambiguity: The responsibility for my husband’s safety, given all the risks he has bravely taken while remaining in his homeland, lies directly with the government.
"Rashid is not afraid of shadows. He has chosen, as a father and a husband, not to remain silent in the face of injustice, because every time they forced him into silence, he grew weary of himself.
"His life is in danger, but his honor is safe. Let the world know that he has stood up for his conscience.”
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that the footballer had been summoned over an alleged debt of four billion tomans, approximately $80,000. The agency accused him of exploiting the country’s current situation and fabricating claims to evade financial obligations.