Australian referee Shaun Evans says he didn’t intend to ‘communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind’.
Published On 15 Jun 202615 Jun 2026
FIFA says it has found “no evidence” that one of the referees at the World Cup breached its code of conduct after he was accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during one of the games.
“FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” football’s global governing body told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement on Monday.
Earlier, FIFA’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup called for Evans, working as a VAR official in the tournament, to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign.
When the official broadcast of Germany’s opening game against Curacao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Australian official Evans made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.
Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre.
Evans said the hand gesture was not intentional, nor did he make it to “communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind”.
“The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time,” the official said in a statement shortly before FIFA announced its decision.
“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers,” Evans went on to add.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am. Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this; however, I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.”
Crude carrier Universal Winner, a South Korean oil tanker operated by Korean shipping company HMM, reaches waters off the southeastern port city of Ulsan, South Korea, 10 June 2026, about three weeks after exiting the Strait of Hormuz, where it had been stranded amid tensions in the Middle East. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
June 11 (Asia Today) — A South Korean-operated liquefied natural gas carrier that had been stranded near the Strait of Hormuz because of the U.S.-Iran war has passed through the waterway, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The vessel was headed to a third country, not South Korea, and eight South Korean crew members were aboard, officials said.
“One South Korean vessel has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is sailing,” the Foreign Ministry said. “Consultations related to this passage were led by the foreign-chartered company.”
The ministry said it understood the ship was heading to its final destination in a third country.
A Foreign Ministry official said Seoul has repeatedly emphasized to Iran the need for the prompt and safe navigation of all vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including South Korean ships. The official said the government is also continuing to communicate with related countries.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, one LNG carrier operated by a South Korean shipping company resumed operations and left the inner side of the strait as of 7 a.m. Wednesday.
As a result, the number of South Korean-operated ships waiting inside the strait fell from 25 to 24. The number of South Korean crew members in the area declined from 147 to 139.
Foreign Ministry officials said the South Korean vessels are anchored in safe areas near Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other nearby waters, following guidance from the Oceans Ministry.
“The government’s top priority is the free and safe passage of South Korean vessels and crew members in the strait,” a Foreign Ministry official said. “We are carrying out diplomatic efforts through multiple channels regarding the remaining 24 vessels.”
The charterer of the ship that passed through the strait was identified as QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state-owned energy company, and the final destination was believed to be Pakistan.
The case differs from the earlier passage of the Universal Winner, a very large crude carrier operated by HMM, which left the strait after direct negotiations between the South Korean government and Iran. In the latest case, the charterer led the decision-making and consultations.
Diplomatic observers said the involvement of QatarEnergy as the charterer and Pakistan as the destination may have helped the vessel secure passage. Pakistan has maintained close communication with Iran over Middle East tensions, and consultations involving the Pakistani Navy and the charterer may have reduced safety concerns.
The passage was reportedly completed shortly before Iran announced a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said Wednesday local time it would completely close the strait in response to U.S. airstrikes.
Diplomatic observers said South Korea is likely to prioritize safety for the remaining 24 vessels for the time being, rather than pushing for immediate passage, as risks in the strait have increased.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260612010004185
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