What Is Happening in Iran
 

In January 2026, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out an extraordinary and unprecedented massacre of civilians.

According to credible reports, eyewitness testimony, leaked documentation, and accounts from inside Iran, more than 35,000 people were killed in just 48 hours during nationwide protests. The scale and speed of the killings point to a coordinated, premeditated operation by state security forces.

The abuses reported include but absolutely not limited to:

• Mass killings in the streets, with security forces firing live ammunition at unarmed civilians.
• Attacks on hospitals, where security forces reportedly entered medical facilities and killed injured protesters in cold blood, turning places of care into sites of execution.
• Extortion of grieving families, who were allegedly forced to pay for the bullets used to kill their loved ones in order to retrieve their bodies.
• Use of chemical agents against civilians, with reports of people collapsing, suffocating, and dying after exposure, consistent with the deployment of chemical weapons or prohibited chemical agents.
• Secret executions, with detained protesters reportedly being hanged in silence, without due process, public records, or notification to families.
• A total internet blackout, imposed since 9 January 2026, which remains in effect, cutting the population off from the outside world and preventing documentation, communication, and accountability.
   

These actions go far beyond crowd control or law enforcement. They reflect systematic, deliberate violence against a civilian population, raising grave concerns of crimes against humanity under international law.

The ongoing information blackout strongly suggests an attempt to hide the true scale of the killings and silence survivors and witnesses.

Why FIFA Must Act
 

FIFA’s Statutes commit the organization to:

• Respect for human dignity
• Protection of human rights
• Opposition to violence, abuse, and discrimination
   

International sport cannot be used to sanitize or legitimize a regime that is actively slaughtering its own people. Allowing the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup while these atrocities continue sends a message that mass killing carries no consequences.

Sporting bodies have acted before when faced with gross violations of international norms. FIFA’s silence in the face of mass death would be a political choice — and a moral failure.

Our Demands
 

We call on FIFA to:

• Publicly condemn the January 2026 massacre and ongoing violence against civilians in Iran.
• Immediately review the participation of the Iranian Football Federation in all FIFA competitions.
• Suspend or exclude the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national team from the 2026 World Cup
   

This petition is not directed at Iranian players or fans, many of whom are themselves victims of repression. It is directed at a state apparatus that uses international sport to project legitimacy while committing mass violence at home.

Football reaches billions. FIFA has influence, visibility, and responsibility. History will remember whether it chose neutrality — or humanity.