A top female Iranian chess player has competed without a hijab at an international tournament in Kazakhstan, in an apparent gesture of solidarity with widespread protests in Iran triggered by the death of a young woman in police custody in September.
Iran has arrested at least 44 lawyers amid its crackdown on antiestablishment protests; a 22-year-old protester is at imminent risk of execution; and a leading Iranian digital rights defender has been sentenced to six years in prison over his tweets.
Sepideh Rashno, a 28-year-old writer and artist arrested earlier this year for refusing to wear the mandatory hijab head covering while using public transport, has been handed a five-year suspended sentence.