Iranian woman football fan dies after setting herself on fire

A banner reading 'Support Iranian women to attend stadiums' is displayed during the 2018 FIFA World Cup match between Morocco and Iran in Saint Petersburg. File photo: AFP

Tehran: A female Iranian football supporter, who set herself on fire a week ago, has passed away.

According to a BBC report, the girl was a fan of Esteghlal football club here and was referred to as Sahar which is not her given name.

The woman set herself alight after her trial, for trying to sneak into a stadium disguised as a man, was pushed to a later date.

She was arrested in March, according to the report. After being released on bail post her three-day jail period, the woman was waiting for her court case for six months.

But her hearing was postponed due to the judge's family emergency. She went back to the court room to pick up her phone when, as per the BBC report, it is believed that she might have overheard someone saying that if she were convicted she could get six months to two years in jail.

She then set herself alight in front of the court house and later breathed her last in hospital.

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