ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Armin Sohrabian, a defender for Iran’s famous Esteghlal football club, was suspended after a video circulated on social media allegedly showing him consuming alcohol.

A video of Sohrabian circulated on social media in recent days, showing him drinking a beverage and listening to music while appearing to stand in front of a home bar.

The video has drawn widespread criticism from authorities toward the 30-year-old Esteghlal FC player.

“After the release of an inappropriate video of Armin Sohrabian, he has been referred to the club’s disciplinary committee,” Fars News Agency, a semi-official media outlet affiliated with the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported on Sunday.

In Iran, alcohol is banned under the country's Sharia-based law, with punishments ranging from lashes and fines to rare cases of the death penalty, while authorities regularly crack down on consumption and possession of the prohi.

The report noted that Sohrabian has been “temporarily suspended” from training with the club until the matter is resolved. 

It further added that Sohrabian is scheduled to appear at the club today “to present his explanation to the club’s management and its disciplinary committee.”

Esteghlal FC is one of Iran’s most famous football teams.

Iranian authorities closely monitor public figures, including actors, athletes, and other celebrities, to ensure they do not cross the government’s red lines, even as alcohol consumption and other previously restricted behaviors have become more common in society.

Sohrabian said late Saturday on social media that a video recently circulating online is “from years ago” and added that it was shared by a party with whom he has “personal issues.”

Amnesty International has condemned Iran’s punishments for alcohol consumption, calling lashings and executions “cruel, inhuman, and degrading” and urging the country to end such practices, with these comments being made following the exectution of 55-year-old Mortaza Jamali from Mashad in 2020 over repeated violations of the prohibition.