<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Two prominent Iranian actresses have been arrested for publicly supporting mass anti-government protests, the country's state-run media reports.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi are accused of collusion and acting against Iran's authorities, Irna news agency says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both women earlier appeared in public without their headscarves - a gesture of solidarity with demonstrators.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The protests erupted in September after the death of a woman in police custody.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mahsa Amini, 22, was detained by morality police in the capital, Tehran, for allegedly breaking the strict hijab rules. She died on 16 September, three days later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were reports that officers beat her with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle, but police denied that she was mistreated and said she suffered a heart attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ms Ghaziani and Ms Riahi - both multiple-award winning actresses - were detained on Sunday on the orders of Iran's prosecutor's office, Irna says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before the arrest, Ms Ghaziani wrote on social media that "whatever happens, know that as always I will stand with the people of Iran".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This maybe my last post," she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The actresses are among a number of high-profile Iranian public figures to have expressed support for the protesters rallying against the country's clerical establishment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier on Sunday, Ehsan Hajsafi, captain of Iran's national football team at the World Cup in Qatar, said that "we have to accept that the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Separately, the head of Iran's boxing federation, Hossein Soori, announced that he would not be returning home from a tournament in Spain due to the violent suppression of the protests in his home country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Human rights activists have said that some 400 demonstrators have been killed and 16,800 others arrested in a crackdown by security forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran's leaders say the protests are "riots" orchestrated by the country's foreign enemies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least five protesters have been sentenced to death in connection with the demonstrations. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>