Mr. Thomas BACH, President, International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Mr. Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, President, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

Dear Mr. Bach and Mr. Infantino,

We write to you today on behalf of Iranian Athletes to call on you in your leadership capacity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to immediately suspend the Iranian National Olympic Committee from the Olympic Movement and the Iranian Football Federation from the 2022 Qatar World Cup.  

Over the past several years Iranian athletes have been intimidated, murdered, beaten and jailed for peacefully protesting the oppressive Islamic Regime. In the past month we have seen an escalation of violence against women in Iran, as well as an escalation in the targeting of athletes. This brutal regime will do everything in their power to use sport and the forthcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup to showcase a façade of unity and peace. There is nothing further from the truth as this regime continues to brutally attack innocent athletes and citizens.

Both of your organizations have adopted a Strategic Framework on Human Rights which places the onus on you to uphold human rights. If you refuse to act, you are signalling to the world that your organizations’ stance against human right violations are nothing more than a paper exercise. 

We once again acknowledge that this decision acutely impacts the lives and careers of Iranian athletes. The accountability of these egregious human rights violations are not theirs to bare, however inaction on your behalf would be an endorsement of these violations and a failure to enact your framework.

We called on athletes and citizens of the world to sign this letter to support the suspension of the Iranian National Olympic Committee from the Olympic Movement and the Iranian Football Federation from the 2022 Qatar World Cup.