Ali Daei, who had his personal passport briefly confiscated after returning to the nation earlier this 12 months, stated his spouse and daughter departed from the capital, Tehran, legally earlier than the flight made an unannounced cease on Kish Island within the Persian Gulf, the place they have been questioned by authorities.

He stated his daughter was launched however the doorways to the flight have been closed by then. He stated his household had deliberate to journey to Dubai and return subsequent week.

The flight-tracking web site Flightradar24 confirmed Mahan Air Flight W563 being diverted to Kish Island earlier than touring onward to Dubai a pair hours later.

There was no remark from the airline or Iranian authorities.

The semiofficial Tasnim information company, believed to be near the Revolutionary Guard, stated a journey ban was imposed on Daei’s spouse earlier this month due to her assist for the protests. It stated she tried to illegally bypass the ban, with out elaborating, and that her closing vacation spot was the U.S. The stories didn’t identify his spouse or daughter, who aren’t public figures.

Daei is one among a number of Iranian celebrities who’ve come out in assist of the protests ignited by the loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September. The Kurdish lady died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the nation’s strict costume code.

The protests quickly unfold throughout the nation and escalated into requires the overthrow of the theocracy established after the 1979 revolution, making it one of many greatest challenges to clerical rule in over 4 a long time.

At least 507 protesters have been killed and greater than 18,500 individuals have been arrested, in line with Human Rights Activists in Iran, a bunch that has intently monitored the unrest. Iranian authorities haven’t launched figures for these killed or arrested.

Before his passport was confiscated, Daei, a high worldwide purpose scorer and former Iranian group captain, had urged the federal government on social media to “solve the problems of the Iranian people rather than using repression, violence and arrests.” He later stated it was returned to him.

The leaderless protesters, rallying underneath the slogan “women, life, freedom,” say they’re fed up after a long time of social and political repression by a clerical institution they view as corrupt and out of contact. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on overseas adversaries just like the U.S. and Israel.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated in an announcement Sunday that it had arrested seven people within the southeastern metropolis of Kerman with a “direct link” to Britain who have been concerned within the protests. It stated some members of the community had twin nationality, with out elaborating.

Iran has arrested plenty of Iranians with twin nationality in recent times and convicted them of state safety offenses in closed-door trials. Rights teams say such detainees are denied due course of and accuse Iran of utilizing them as bargaining chips with the West, one thing Iranian officers deny.