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

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.