NCRI-US spotlights Iranian athletes and sports governance in Los Angeles

NCRI-US held a press conference and exhibition at Los Angeles City Hall ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to highlight what it described as political control of sports in Iran and the treatment of athletes who challenge it. Former athletes, Iranian-Americans and activists used the event to press for independent sports institutions and athlete protections.

Why it matters: - The Los Angeles event tied Iranian sports politics to a global audience as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches. - NCRI-US framed the issue as both a human rights question and a test of whether sports bodies in Iran can operate independently. - Speakers said the treatment of athletes in Iran affects free expression, athlete safety and the credibility of sports governance.

What happened: - NCRI-US held a press conference and exhibition on the South Lawn of Los Angeles City Hall on June 10, 2026. - The event brought together former Iranian national team athletes, youth representatives, members of the Iranian-American community and NCRI supporters. - Organizers displayed photographs and biographical information about athletes they said had faced imprisonment, persecution or execution for political views. - Participants followed the conference with a march and flower-laying ceremony honoring athletes organizers said had been targeted by Iranian authorities.

The details: - NCRI-US said the event was intended to highlight concerns about the independence of sports institutions in Iran and the treatment of athletes who express political opinions. - Speakers discussed what they described as political influence inside Iranian football and other sports organizations. - The program referenced FIFA regulations on the autonomy of member associations. - In an earlier interview with Fox News, NCRI-US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh said the organization had presented documentation it says shows links between current and former Iranian security officials and people in sports-related positions. - Jafarzadeh argued that international sports bodies should examine Iran with the same seriousness that they examined apartheid-era South Africa. - Hamid Azimi, a member of NCRI, said Iranian sports institutions should be free from political influence and cited FIFA principles on football association autonomy. - Azimi also referenced athletes NCRI says were punished for political views. - Former Iranian national team footballer Asghar Adibi, now a member of NCRI, spoke about his experience in Iranian football and backed stronger protections for athletes and separation from political influence. - Adibi highlighted the NCRI sports platform, which advocates equal opportunity, non-discrimination, athlete protections and separation of sports from political control. - Former Iranian national team goalkeeper Bahram Mavaddat, a member of Iran’s 1978 World Cup squad and current NCRI member, said sports institutions should be run by professional sports officials. - Mavaddat also stressed athlete rights and independent governance. - Three-time world champion and 16-time U.S. national traditional karate champion Dr. Soolmaz Abooali spoke about the link between athletics and human rights. - Abooali said athletes should be able to train and compete without discrimination or political pressure. - Abooali honored athletes whom she said died for freedom and whose cases have been highlighted by NCRI and other advocacy groups. - Milad Sharif, a 17-year-old U.S. wrestler, said reports about Iranian athletes have influenced younger Iranian-Americans. - Sharif discussed the case of wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, whom NCRI says was executed for political views. - Sharif said he hoped for an Iran without executions, discrimination or political repression and cited Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan. - Sharif said: “As a young athlete, I dream of a day when I can compete freely with Iranian athletes—not as victims of a regime, but as equals, as friends, as champions.” - Speakers who knew former Iranian national football captain Habib Khabiri described him as committed to his beliefs despite political pressure. - According to the UN and human rights organizations, Khabiri was executed in 1984 because of his affiliation with the Iranian opposition movement, the MEK. - NCRI-US said it will keep advocating for athlete protections, equal opportunity in sports and independence from political influence.

Between the lines: - The event blended sports advocacy with broader opposition politics, using the World Cup spotlight to push a message about governance and rights in Iran. - By invoking FIFA rules and apartheid-era comparisons, NCRI-US tried to place Iran’s sports system inside a global standards debate, not just a domestic political dispute. - The presence of former athletes and young Iranian-Americans gave the event both emotional weight and a generational angle.

What’s next: - NCRI-US said it will continue its campaign for athlete protections and independent sports institutions. - Organizers said that goal, in their view, depends on a democratic and free republic in Iran. - The World Cup buildup is likely to keep attention on Iran-related political and human rights messaging tied to sports.