At the world weight championship that was held in Norway, during November 8 and 14, the Iranian weightlifter Amir Assadollahzadeh defected and escaped to seek asylum in the European country.
Assadollahzadeh has competed for the last 11 years with the Iranian national team. He has been four times Asian champion. In early 2021, Assadollahzadeh won bronze in the Club World League Championship and dedicated his triumph to the professionals of the health that had been fighting the covid pandemic – 19 .
During the World Cup they asked him to make a gesture towards the terrorist Qasem Soleimani . Assadolahzadeh said the federation vice president demanded that he wear a shirt with a photo of Soleimani.
“I refused to wear the shirt and they threatened me. They told me that upon my return to Iran I would have problems, that I would be treated as someone who is against the regime and that my life could be in danger ”, explained the Iranian weightlifter to CNN .
Powerlifter Amir Assadollahzadeh says that if he had been forced to return to Iran, “I am 100% sure that I will face jail, torture and maybe even worse than that – execution. “https://t.co/vQBSoHc0dm
— CNN Sports (@cnnsport) December 20, 2021
During On the day he was competing, he was required to wear a shirt alluding to Soleimani, that’s where he decided to escape.
“I ran to the bus station, but I was five minutes late. It was very dark and I was very stressed. I tried to run down the street directly in front of the hotel at full speed until I finally reached a gas station with a store next to it. I asked the man who worked there to call me a taxi ”, declared the 31 years old athlete. .
Assadollahzadeh confessed that he is sure that if he had been forced to return to his country, he would have been arrested, tortured and possibly executed.
” I am very sad that I may never see my family again. I ask the International Olympic Committee and all related organizations to help Iranian athletes ”, said the weightlifter.