In the last month, the soccer player Sebastian Strandvall in Vaasa has been fighting for the survival of his former teammate Amir Nasr-Azadani.
After a demonstration in Iran in November, Nasr-Azadani looked set to receive the death penalty, but a week ago the sentence was changed to 26 years in prison, but in practice he will serve 16 years.
– The new sentence can be seen as a small win, that the death sentence has been overturned and that his life is not in direct danger at the moment. I will continue to fight for his release. 16 years is a long time in prison, says Strandvall.
Contacted by CNN and Iranians Abroad
Sebastian Strandvall has become involved in the issue via social media and also through interviews in various media, among others CNN has interviewed him. But he has also contacted various Finnish politicians.
Does Amir know about what you and others are doing for him?
– I don’t know if that information has reached him via, for example, a lawyer.
Strandvall has received a lot of response, both from people he knows but also from Finns with some connection to Iran and Iranians living abroad.
Sebastian Strandvall is careful to point out that his job is to play football, but that he cannot be silent when something happens that involves him.
Image: Arash Matin / Yle
Sebastian Strandvall
More and more people are choosing to get involved in society and politics
Traditionally, athletes have talked about sports and not interfered in society and politics. But for a few years, community involvement has also grown stronger among athletes, thanks in large part to social media. That’s what Kim Strandberg, professor of political science at Åbo Akademi, says.
Strandberg says that it has indeed existed to some extent in the past, for example the Black power protests in the 1968 Olympics.
– Probably it has become more common because everyone has a platform where they can have their voice heard, not everyone gets on the podium in an Olympics. Even athletes from small towns, small countries can gain international visibility. It would never have happened in any other way than via social media, says Strandberg.
Social media has increased the chance for athletes from even small towns to reach out.
Image: Johannes Björkqvist / Yle
political science
For Sebastian Strandvall, it is unthinkable not to be allowed to say what he thinks.
– I don’t understand why athletes should be silenced or gagged. Like any other citizen of the world, I think you should have the right to express your opinion, says Strandvall.
How much should you think about your role as a role model when you are an athlete?
– I think it is important because you never know who you are a role model for. There is guaranteed to always be someone who looks up to you and listens to what you have to say. I certainly do not expect everyone to take a stand on every political issue or social debate. But I think it’s important to be a good person because you never know who is looking up to you.
At the same time, Sebastian Strandvall is careful to point out that his job is to play football, he has no need to highlight himself.
– What I am trying to do is to make the rest of the world aware of the situation in Iran. Amir’s situation concerns me personally. That’s what’s important here, not my role in it all.
Chance for politicians to reach a completely new audience
Professor Kim Strandberg says that he generally sees it as a positive thing that more and more people choose to use their platform to address various social issues. But there are also situations when it has gone to the negative, such as with former MMA star Andrew Tate who chose to use his channels for hate speech and misogynistic views.
– It goes both ways and of course it is also a risk that anyone can have a vote, says Strandberg.
At the same time, Kim Strandberg raises the possibility of reaching a completely new audience that a politician might not have.
– Athletes may have an audience that is not otherwise super interested in social issues. It is not the usual political geeks who would otherwise vote and be involved in any way. It is a good thing to reach other types of citizens as well, says Strandberg.
It is a kind of key that opens the door to a different kind of audience than the politicians otherwise have
― Kim Strandberg
According to Strandberg, the fact that Sebastian Strandvall also contacted politicians regarding the Iranian Amir Nasr-Azadani is the right way to go.
– I think it is the right way to go if you actually want something to happen. First, attention is created and attention grows and it makes it easier to get politicians to listen if they have seen something about this case.
Roughly speaking, as Kim Strandberg himself says, the phenomenon of athletes influencing society has grown a lot in just a few years. And it will increase even more, he believes.
What kind of collaboration can there be between a politician and an influencer such as an athlete?
– It is a kind of key that opens the door to a different type of audience that politicians otherwise have. They can ride on the image that a football player or an influencer has.
Briefly about the situation right now
According to news site IranWire, Amir Nasr-Azadani has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for three different crimes, but reportedly he will only serve 16 years in prison. The sentence can be appealed.
It was on November 16 that Nasr-Azadani participated in a demonstration in the city of Isfahan, according to the verdict three people from the security forces must have died as a result of the protests.
The protests in Iran began in September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after she was arrested by police for not covering her hair sufficiently.
