2 November Associated Press
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Sixty people were arrested in Iran's southern city of Shiraz after the national
football team won over the United Arab Emirates in the 2002 World Cup qualifying
games Wednesday, the state IRNA news agency reported.
"Sixty people were
arrested in the riots Wednesday night in Shiraz after the match between Iran's
national football team with the UAE," Fars province police chief Hossein
Zolfaqari said, cited by IRNA late Thursday.
He said 23 motorcylces
and nine cars were also confiscated after the match. "The files of those
arrested are currently being studied, and if they are not linked to the riots,
they will be set free," Zolfaqari said.
Iran's national football
defeated the UAE 3-0 in the second leg of their Asia zone World Cup qualifying
play off in Abu Dhabi Wednesday.
Post-match celebrations in Tehran
Wednesday were relatively peaceful as compared to the previous matches, which
lead to rioting and clashes with police in Tehran and other cities.
In
Tehran, several hundred people have been arrested during the course of the past
two weeks after each football match. Neither officials nor state media have
reported any rioting or arrests in Tehran after Wednesday's match.
In
October, President Mohammad Khatami appealed to the nation's football-mad youth
to curb their emotions after destructive riots erupted following Iran's 2-1
victory over Iraq in a World Cup football qualifier. "The expression of
joy should not cause problems and anger among other citizens," Khatami was
quoted as saying by IRNA. In related news the basij high command announced that
15,000 people took part in the war games which were held in the Saheb al-Amr
station near Shiraz.