According to published reports, the personal assets, bank accounts, and mobile phone line of Voria Ghafouri, coach of the Esteghlal football team, have been seized and blocked due to his support for popular protests and his condemnation of the killing of civilians by forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Previously, a court in Iran had issued an order to seal the “Café Voria” venues in Tehran, which are owned by Voria Ghafouri. Ghafouri, a citizen of Kurdistan and one of the most well-known figures in Iranian football, owns these cafés. The cafés were sealed by government security forces on January 8 and 9, 2026.
The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office interpreted the closure of the cafés as “aligning with unrest” and “supporting protests,” and issued a temporary sealing order.
It is worth noting that Voria Ghafouri had previously been arrested in 2022 by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran for supporting Kurdish protests during the “Jina” uprising.
Iranian authorities reportedly intend to place Ghafouri under severe economic and security pressure by confiscating his assets and blocking his bank accounts and telephone line, in an effort to force him to retreat from his positions.
The Islamic Republic targets not only political opponents, but also any well-known individual who expresses solidarity with the Iranian people, using economic and judicial tools to exert pressure.
Voria Ghafouri, regarded as one of the most popular public figures in Kurdistan, is now facing these pressures—measures that more than anything else reflect the regime’s fear of the social and cultural influence of well-known figures.
Previously, Time magazine reported, citing two senior officials from Iran’s Ministry of Health and hospital data, that more than 30,000 people may have been killed nationwide over two days, on January 8 and 9, across Iran.
