Former Iranian footballer Ali Daei criticizes removal of wife, child from Dubai-bound flight

Iran’s former footballer Ali Daei has criticized a move by authorities to return his wife and child to the Iranian Island of Kish while they were en route from Tehran to the United Arab Emirates.

Daei’s wife and child were on board a Mahan Airways airliner when the plane diverted and landed on Kish Island where the two were removed from the flight.

Following the removal of Daei’s wife and kid from the plane, a rumor spread that the two had been taken into custody but the former footballer denied this.

He also denied that there was a ban on their departure from Iran, saying had this been the case, police passport database would have shown in Tehran.

“I absolutely have no idea what the reason for this is”, he added.

Daei also said, “Did they want to arrest terrorists? My wife and child wanted to visit Dubai for several days and return.”

The former Iranian footballer noted that no one has yet responded to his questions as to why his wife and child were removed from the Dubai flight.

Repoerts quote Iran’s judiciary sources as saying that Daei’s wife had committed herself to inform authorities before leaving the country given that she and the former footballer, who own a big jewelry gallery in Tehran, had shut down their shop in line with a call for strike by anti-government groups and those whom officials describe as rioters.

Judiciary sources also have said Daei’s wife and child were not arrested, but they were stopped from leaving Iran.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.