Police Complaint Against Farhad Majidi, Football Coach, Gains Ground

Ayoub Soleimani, the deputy commander of Iran's police force, announced on Saturday that Farhad Majidi's vehicle has been impounded and stated: "The police will hold a meeting to consider filing a complaint against Farhad Majidi, coach of Tehran's Esteghlal team, to review the actions of this player." The deputy police commander explained the incident involving a verbal altercation between Farhad Majidi and a traffic police officer, stating: "The police officer stopped the player's vehicle for speeding, and that individual resisted the enforcement of the law. Shouldn't our officer perform his duty?" According to Ayoub Soleimani, "The mere publication of this video is a crime in itself and should be dealt with." On Friday night, Farhad Majidi, former player and coach of Tehran's Esteghlal team, posted a video on his Instagram in which a police officer asks him to take a breathalyzer test, and apparently, Farhad Majidi refuses this request. Ultimately, the police officer impounded the coach's vehicle due to excessive speed and lack of documentation. Farhad Majidi described the police officer's language as "inappropriate" and wrote: "Unfortunately, some individuals have learned to harass people instead of performing their duties." At the end of his Instagram post, he urged Hossein Rahimi, the commander of Tehran's police, to "take action against those who tarnish the reputation and efforts of the police with their rude behavior." This Instagram post quickly became a platform for expressions of agreement and disagreement, generating numerous reactions. Among them, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Mehmandoost, head of Tehran's traffic police, deemed the police officer's handling of the situation as "completely correct" and emphasized: "For the police, it does not matter who the offender is; all individuals are equal before the law; the notion that someone thinks they should not be subject to regulations because they are a celebrity, football player, or have a position is a significant flaw." Mehmandoost posed the question: "If the individual has no problem, why should they resist taking the test?" He promised that "the police will provide complete information regarding this matter." Simultaneously, the deputy commander of Tehran's police, Hamid Hedayat, announced that the recorded speed of Farhad Majidi's vehicle was 140 kilometers per hour, stating: "This speed is a violation, and the police will definitely take action against the offender, regardless of who was behind the wheel." Following these reactions, Farhad Majidi described Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Mehmandoost's defense of the police officer as "defending organizational interests," which he believed was "natural." Farhad Majidi emphasized that the police had asked him to take a breathalyzer test, and he complied. The Esteghlal coach explained: "He requested the breathalyzer test, which I complied with, and he took my vehicle documents, but subsequently, he spoke to me rudely, and I asked him to correct his manner of speaking, which is why I filmed his speech and behavior." Farhad Majidi later deleted the video of the altercation with the police from his Instagram page and in a new post featuring a picture of Hossein Rahimi, the commander of Tehran's police, emphasized that he is not one to seek controversy. Majidi explained the reason for posting the video of his altercation with the traffic police: "People in distress who might, like me, encounter this negligent officer during the holiday season with numerous economic pressures and problems may not have the opportunity to express their grievances and citizen rights, which is why I published this video to be the voice of the people." He also emphasized that "he is not truly seeking leniency for offenses or expecting special attention, but respect and politeness are the rights of the people." However, the publication of this video and the subsequent events even brought high-ranking military and police officials into the matter; to the extent that Hossein Ashtari, the commander of Iran's police, stated: "Our investigations show that the police officer performed his duty, and we encouraged him." Major General Mohammad Bagheri, head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, reacted to this matter on his Twitter account, calling the traffic officer who stopped Majidi's vehicle a "diligent and honorable officer." The altercation between Farhad Majidi and the police officer also turned into a scene of confrontation between the fans of the two major capital teams, Esteghlal and Persepolis, especially since the trial of financial accusations against Hassan Hedayati, a former financial supporter of Persepolis, who had close ties with this club and its players and officials, in recent days has led to confrontations among the fans of the two teams on social media.