The families of the Iranian soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture ahead of Iran’s World Cup game against the U.S. on Tuesday, according to a report. An unnamed source involved in security at the tournament told CNN that the Iranian players’ loved ones would “face violence” if the players did not “behave.” The threats were allegedly made to players during a meeting called by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the Iranian team refused to sing their national anthem before their first World Cup game. The move was an apparent show of solidarity with protesters who have been detained in Iran during demonstrations that erupted in the wake of the death of a young woman in the custody of the country’s “morality police.” The players sang their national anthem before their second game against Wales.
