Voria Ghafouri’s café chain sealed for supporting Kurdistan-wide general strike

Hengaw – Sunday, January 11, 2026 

The café chain owned by Voria Ghafouri, a former Iranian national football star and a current member of the technical staff of Esteghlal FC, has been sealed in Tehran for supporting the recent Kurdistan-wide general strike. 

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the media center of Iran’s judiciary announced on Saturday, January 10, 2026, that all cafés owned by Ghafouri in Tehran had been sealed. 

The action was carried out by order of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, under which Ghafouri’s cafés will remain closed for a period of two months. 

The call for a Kurdistan-wide general strike was issued on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, by seven Kurdistan political parties and civil organizations, in support of residents of Ilam, Kermanshah (Kermashan), and Lorestan, as well as in solidarity with ongoing protests. The strike was carried out two days later. Hengaw had previously reported that widespread strikes took place in at least 39 cities. 

Iranian authorities had previously subjected Ghafouri’s business premises in Tehran to intimidation and harassment, during which staff and customers were assaulted, according to informed sources. 

In recent years, Voria Ghafouri has faced sustained pressure from state institutions due to his public support for women’s access to stadiums, the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, and his broader civic engagement. Despite being away from professional football for the past three years and currently serving on the technical staff of Esteghlal FC, he has been barred from sitting on the team’s bench.