Sahar Khodayari, 29, faced charges of “appearing in public without a hijab” when she attempted to enter the stadium “dressed as a man” in March, according to Amnesty.
Khodayari appeared in a Tehran court last week, when the case was adjourned. She then poured gasoline on herself and lit herself on fire. She died on Monday September 9.
Iran’s ban on women attending sports stadiums was put in place shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
She has since been dubbed the “Blue Girl” on social media, after the colors of her favorite Iranian soccer team, Esteghlal.
In a statement, FIFA said: “We are aware of that tragedy and deeply regret it. FIFA convey our condolences to the family and friends of Sahar and reiterate our calls on the Iranian authorities to ensure the freedom and safety of any women engaged in this legitimate fight to end the stadium ban for women in Iran.”
CNN could not reach the Iranian government for a comment.
As reaction to her death grew online, Italian club AS Roma tweeted its support for Khodayari.
“#ASRoma is yellow & red but today our heart bleeds blue for Sahar Khodayari,” it tweeted.
“The beautiful game is meant to unite us, not divide us — that’s why we set up @ASRoma_Persian last year. Now it’s time for everyone in Iran to be allowed to enjoy football matches together. RIP #BlueGirl.”
CNN’s John Sinnott and James Masters contributed to this report.
Source : Nbcnewyork