A young Iranian woman has died after falling into a coma following her detention by morality police enforcing Iran's strict hijab rules, in a case that has sparked protest on social media.
Iran's Ministry of Interior and Tehran's prosecutor launched investigations into the case of Mahsa Amini following a call from President Ebrahim Raisi, state media reported, but her uncle was quoted by news website Emtedad as saying that the 22-year-old had died after being taken to hospital following her detention at a morality police station.
State TV confirmed her death in a rolling news text without giving details.
Over the past few months, Iranian rights activists have urged women to publicly remove their veils, which puts them at risk of arrest, as hardline authorities work to crack down on “immoral behaviour”.
Police said Amini had suffered a heart attack after being taken to the station to be “convinced and educated”, state television said, denying allegations she was beaten.
Following the calls for anti-hijab protests, videos posted on social media showed cases of what appeared to be heavy-handed action by morality police units against women who had removed their head coverings.
On Friday, reformist politician Mahmoud Sadeghi, a former lawmaker, called on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to speak out over Amini's case.
“What does the supreme leader, who rightfully denounced US police over the death of George Floyd, say about the Iranian police's treatment of Mahsa Amini?” Mr Sadeghi asked on Twitter.
In 2020, Mr Khamenei said Floyd's killing in police custody had exposed the “true nature” of US leaders.
US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley described Amini's death as "appalling" and called for those responsible to be held to account.
"Iran must end its violence against women for exercising their fundamental rights," Mr Malley wrote on Twitter.
A US State Department representative told The National that women in Iran should have the right to wear what they want, free from violence or harassment.
"Iran must end its use of violence against women for exercising their fundamental freedoms," the representative said.
Under Iranian law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. Those who violate these laws face public rebuke, fines or arrest.
Decades after the 1979 revolution, clerical rulers still struggle to enforce the law, with many women of all ages and backgrounds wearing tight-fitting, thigh-length coats and brightly coloured scarves pushed back to expose plenty of hair.
— With reporting from Reuters.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
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Stars: 3
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
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