The head of Iran's national boxing federation has said he is refusing to return to his country, in support of anti-government protests that have roiled the country for weeks. Hossein Soori made the announcement in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda on November 19. Currently in Spain for a youth boxing tournament, Thori said Iranian government officials "lacked honor." Soori's announcement comes amid a deadly crackdown in Iran on spreading protests connected to the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in September for "improperly" wearing a head scarf. Weeks of demonstrations have become some of the biggest, and most sustained, since the 1979 revolution.
Head Of Iranian Boxing Federation Defects, Citing Ongoing Protests
The president of the Iranian Boxing Federation, Hossein Souri