The Hana Human Rights Organization has learned that the judicial body of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has opened an investigation, following a complaint filed by Kurdish lawyer and legal expert Dr. Faraz Firoozi, into racist and systematically violent chants against Kurds during a football match between “Navad Orumiyeh” and “Nassaji Mazandaran,” held on Monday, October 13, 2025, at Bakeri Stadium in Orumiyeh.
According to documented video footage, a significant number of spectators repeatedly chanted derogatory and hate-filled slogans in Turkish targeting Kurds. One of the recurring chants was, “Hassani, where are you to treat the Kurds like…,” echoing calls for violence rooted in historical hatred.
The Hana Human Rights Organization strongly condemns this wave of hate speech against Kurds in Orumiyeh and calls on FIFA to take firm action on the matter, including determining the legal responsibility of the Iranian Football Federation, which has so far shown no legal response or effort to address the incident.
Hana also urges civil society and human rights organizations in Azerbaijan to condemn such inhumane behavior and to take effective measures to promote peace, respect for human dignity, and the acceptance of national and ethnic diversity in this region.
It should be noted that Gholamreza Hassani was an extremist Shia cleric from Orumiyeh and its surrounding areas who, following Khomeini’s jihad fatwa against the people of Kurdistan, directly participated in crimes against humanity targeting Kurds. He is specifically accused of involvement in the ethnic cleansing of the village of Qaraneh. Protected by judicial immunity, Gholamreza Hassani remained free from prosecution until his death in April 2018.