Former national team captain accused of supporting anti-government protests
Iranian authorities have announced the seizure of six properties allegedly linked to former national football captain Ali Karimi, who has become one of the Islamic republic’s most outspoken critics in exile.
The move was disclosed on Monday by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, which described Karimi as “one of the traitors to the homeland” accused of supporting Iran’s opponents through his activities on social media.
According to the report, two commercial properties and four residential units associated with the former football star were confiscated under a judicial order “for the benefit of the people.”
Karimi, widely known during his playing career as the “Asian Maradona,” rose to international prominence for his skill and creativity on the pitch, including a spell with FC Bayern Munich.
Since leaving Iran in 2022, he has reportedly been based in the Gulf region and has frequently criticised Iran’s clerical establishment online. He has also publicly expressed support for anti-government protests and for the monarchy that was overthrown during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The former midfielder has not publicly responded to the latest development.
Iranian authorities have increasingly warned that individuals deemed to be acting against national security could face asset seizures, particularly following waves of unrest and amid heightened regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Israel and the United States.
Karimi was previously charged in absentia in 2022 over his support for protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.
In a separate but related case, the judiciary said in April that authorities had released assets belonging to Zahra Ghanbari after she withdrew an asylum request made during a trip to Australia.
Ghanbari had been among six players and a member of the backroom staff who sought asylum in Australia in March, though most later reversed their decisions and returned to Iran.
The developments come as Iran’s men’s national football team prepares for the upcoming World Cup in the United States next June — a tournament expected to draw heightened political and diplomatic scrutiny amid ongoing regional tensions.
