The Australian team asks Qatar to decriminalize LGTBI relations in a video three weeks before the World Cup

The Australian soccer team, the

, has asked Qatar on Thursday for reforms in favor of human rights, including the decriminalization of same-sex relationships ahead of the World Cup that begins on November 20.

Several players of the national team, in a video posted on the team's social networks, have expressed their concern about the treatment given to migrant workers after complaints about the death of thousands of them during the construction of the infrastructure of the Copa del Rey. World.

Goalkeeper Mat Ryan, captain of the s

appears in the video defending the values ​​that should define football: “values ​​such as respect, dignity, trust and courage.

When we represent our nation, we aspire to embody these values.”

Denis Genreau, midfielder, intervenes to ensure that the team "fully" supports the rights of LGTBI people.

“But in Qatar people are not free to love the person they choose.

Addressing these questions is not easy and we do not have all the answers”, adds the French-born player in the video that has already been seen by tens of thousands of people on Twitter.

The Australian team has also asked Qatar to leave "a legacy that lasts" beyond the World Cup and to implement forceful reforms in favor of the LGTBI community and immigrant workers.

Jackson Irvine, player in midfield, points out that this “should include the creation of an immigrant resource center, effective solutions for those who have been denied their rights and the decriminalization of all same-sex relationships. ”.

Irvine also adds that the Australian team players "have known that the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar has caused suffering and harm to countless workers."

According to an investigation by the British newspaper

February 2021,

Some 6,500 workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died building the World Cup infrastructure since Qatar was named the tournament's host.

The players have assured that this public statement comes after consultation with various Australian football bodies, as well as FIFA, Amnesty International and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The Australian Football Federation has issued a statement this Thursday in which it acknowledges that although Qatar has implemented "legislative reforms and has made significant progress", it hopes that the country's authorities will fulfill the promise to guarantee the safety of the LGTBI + community after the celebration of the football world cup.

"As the most multicultural, diverse and inclusive sport in our country, we believe that everyone should be able to feel safe and truly be who they are," says the Federation's statement, referring to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where it is expected that the captains of various European teams wear a bracelet with rainbow colors and the inscription "One Love".

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