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Iranian regime prepares to prevent protests during Friday’s soccer match

 NCRI – On Thursday, a day before a scheduled soccer match at the Azadi stadium between Persepolis and Esteqlal soccer clubs, the police chief of Greater Tehran, Azizollah Rajabzadeh, expressed trepidation over protest acts by Iran’s brave youth and people, saying, “There is a minority that intends to bring political matters into the stadium. The police will decisively deal with these individuals.”

Rajabzadeh also threatened people, saying, “The police is present on the scene such that in the event of noticing criminal acts it would be able to arrest those who disrupt order and security and will deal with them in accordance with the law” (ILNA state-run news agency, September 30, 2009).

A judiciary official of the regime also said in this regard, “There will be two judges present at Tehran’s Azadi stadium during Friday’s match in order to urgently review offenses committed at the stadium. The guards of “District 5 Prosecutor’s Office” and “Central Prosecutor’s Office” will also be dedicated to reviewing offenses committed outside Azadi stadium” (ILNA state-run news agency, September 30, 2009).

At the same time, regime officials have transferred some of their agents to Tehran under the guise of spectators, stationing them in front of the stadium on Thursday night. Only 70,000 tickets will be sold for the game while the stadium can seat more than 90,000 people. The rest of the seats are allocated to suppressive forces to mingle among the crowd.

The clerical regime fears that the soccer match will turn into another protest act against it. It has thus made preparations to curb protests.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 1, 2009