It's not just sport that exists at this World Cup.
After the victory of its team Friday against Wales (2-0), Iran announced on Monday, via the agency of the Judicial Authority Mizan Online, to have released more than 700 prisoners.
"Following a special order from the head of the Judicial Authority after the victory of the national football team (...) against that of Wales, 709 detainees were released from various prisons in the country", specifies the agency, which added that among them are "some people arrested during the recent events".
#BREAKING: More than 700 prisoners have been released in Iran after their team's victory over Wales at the World Cup in Qatar - Judicial Authority agency Mizan Online
— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) November 28, 2022
By "events," the agency is referring to the protests sparked by the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who died after she was arrested by vice police for allegedly violating the Strict Islamic Republic dress code.
Authorities have reported thousands of people arrested in connection with the protests, with the judiciary claiming to have charged more than 2,000.
Human rights organizations abroad report a much higher number of arrests.
Tehran, which sees most of these demonstrations as "riots", notably accuses foreign forces of being behind this movement to seek to destabilize the Islamic Republic.
This decision comes in a very tense context, on the eve of the meeting against the United States, decisive for the qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup.
On Sunday, Iran protested to Fifa because the American federation published a post on Instagram, with the Iranian flag amputated from the word Allah, which normally appears in the center.
One official even called for the US team to be kicked out of the World Cup.
Before the last day, Carlos Queiroz's Iran is 2nd with 3 points, one length behind England.
The United States follows at one point.
The winner will see the rest of the competition.
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