Death threats, interrogation: Why football referee Mahsa Ghorbani left Iran

Masha Ghorbani of Iran is a pioneering female football referee who has steadfastly defied social and governmental restrictions for years. However, she ultimately could no longer endure it and left her homeland for Sweden last December.

Born in 1989, Ghorbani first officiated in Asian football at the under-14 level. In 2017, she was recognized as an elite international referee by FIFA. In July 2023, she made sports history by becoming the first Iranian woman to officiate an international football match when she took charge of the CAFA U20 Championship game between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan.

Previously, Ghorbani had officiated at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as men’s matches in the second division of the Maldives league. However, things took a turn when she was appointed as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official to oversee the men’s match between Tehran’s two biggest teams, Esteghlal and Persepolis, on March 13, 2024.

In the days leading up to the high-profile Tehran derby match, she faced widespread official opposition in Iran, and despite receiving support from FIFA, her name was removed from the referee list by the Iranian Football Federation 48 hours before the game. Facing death threats, insinuations of staged car accidents and acid attacks, and multiple interrogations by the Iranian Football Federation, Ghorbani made the momentous decision to leave Iran.

In a phone call with a public relations official from the Iranian Football Federation, the organization was given the opportunity to comment on Ghorbani’s specific allegations of abuse. Al Jazeera’s journalists were told that the federation would not comment and should not call again. In this interview, Ghorbani spoke candidly about her love of football, her anger at the injustices she faced as a female football referee in Iran, and her hopes for a better future.

Al Jazeera: Masha, why did you decide to emigrate to Sweden?

Masha Ghorbani: I had reached a stage in my refereeing where I was one step away from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the Iranian Football Federation removed me under pressure from other [internal] institutions. After the World Cup, the Tehran derby incident happened. They turned refereeing a football match into a death threat. They are afraid of giving women space to grow.

One time they said, “Today you are refereeing in the VAR room, tomorrow you want to be a lineswoman, and the day after that you want to be the main referee on the field!” I always wanted to stay and succeed [as a referee] in the name of Iran, but I reached a stage where I was facing death threats and realized there was not even space to move forward.

Al Jazeera: What threats did you face? And from whom?

Masha Ghorbani: In the days before the [Tehran derby] match, officials tried to find any excuse to bring me to the football federation. When I got there [the Iranian Football Federation], they turned off my phone and took it away. They also said my bag would be left outside the room.

When I entered the room, there were two security representatives and several football federation officials, and they locked the door. At first, they politely asked me to withdraw from refereeing the match. Then they asked me to write a letter saying that my mental and psychological state was not suitable for refereeing the match. Finally, they asked me to sit in front of a camera and say that I was too ill to do it.

Al Jazeera: Why did the Iranian Football Federation ask you to do that?

Masha Ghorbani: Their [Iranian Football Federation’s] problem was not with the media or the Iranian people. They just wanted a document to submit to FIFA to prevent political interference in sports. I did not agree to their request. However, I later learned that the federation sent a letter to FIFA – which I did not write or sign – claiming that I, Masha Ghorbani, was not fit to referee the Tehran derby due to a serious illness.

Al Jazeera: What happened when you refused to write the letter?

Masha Ghorbani: They [the Iranian Football Federation] began using my attire in international matches as an excuse. They asked me to acknowledge in writing that I was not wearing the proper clothing. Essentially, they wanted me to say that I was “improperly dressed” and was showing myself off on purpose. They even threatened me. They said, “If you go out of this door, they will kill you, for example, in a staged accident, so it’s better to cooperate.” They threatened me multiple times with acid attacks. But my response was always the same: “I would rather die than live without my dignity.”

Al Jazeera: What do you wear in international matches?

Masha Ghorbani: In most matches, I did not wear a headscarf, and despite the pressure, I often said “no” to the mandatory hijab of the Islamic Republic of Iran, meaning that I wore the same approved referee uniform as other referees. However, when the pressure increased, and for the peace of mind of my family, I wore beige support socks and a hat in some matches.

Al Jazeera: Why did you not adhere to the Iranian Football Federation-approved uniform like other female referees in Iran?

Masha Ghorbani: At that time, I felt it was progress for Iranian women towards freedom and achieving equality. Over the years, I have had mixed emotions. Even now, as I tell you these things, I feel a mixture of happiness and sadness. On one hand, I smile because I managed to fight; but on the other hand, I feel sad because we have to fight for the simplest rights that other girls around the world enjoy.

Al Jazeera: One of your dreams was to participate in the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Are you still pursuing this goal?

Masha Ghorbani: Participating in the World Cup and international matches has always been one of my main goals, and I am still working to achieve it. I will continue on this path with even more motivation. I always tell those around me that one day, at a big tournament, at an important match, I will enter the field without a mandatory headscarf and represent Iranian women. I will not give up until I achieve this goal. For me, it is very important not only to raise my own name but also to proudly represent Iran on the international stage. Every time I think about this, my heart beats faster with excitement because I want to have a place in the hearts of the people.