Britney Spears backs Iranians 'fighting for freedom' as Mahsa Amini protests continue

Britney Spears came out on Sunday in support of Iranians "fighting for freedom" as protests continue across the country following the death of Mahsa Amini.

"Me & my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom," Spears, 40, tweeted.

The pop legend, best known for hits including Toxic and Baby One More Time, married 28-year-old Iran-born actor Sam Asghari earlier this year.

Asghari posted a screenshot of his wife's tweet to Instagram, saying: "My queen & I stand with the people of Iran. Keep fighting."

It comes as Iranians continue to take to the streets following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Amini, despite a crackdown by authorities.

Rights groups say over 200 demonstrators have lost their lives.

Me & my husband stand with the people of Iran fighting for freedom.

— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) October 16, 2022

Amini whose Kurdish name can be spelt "Zhina" or "Jina", died in police custody on 16 September.

She was arrested in Tehran by the morality police on 13 September for allegedly not wearing her hijab 'correctly'.

Amini went into a coma in detention and died at a hospital in the Iranian capital.

The authorities, who are accused of beating her, maintain she died from natural causes.

Amini's death has prompted widespread outrage not just in Iran but also abroad.

Demonstrations have been held in Iraqi Kurdistan's capital Erbil and Western cities like London and Rome.

Spears is not the only musician to express her solidarity with the Iranian people.

Irish rockers U2 earlier this month posted a photo of Amini to Instagram.

The band included in its post a poem by Saadi Shirazi, a 13th-century Persian poet, which reads in part: "If you have no sympathy for human pain,

"The name of human you shall not retain."

British rock band Coldplay at the start of October issued a statement saying they'd "like to send particular love and respect to those of you standing up for the right to be free, peaceful and Yourself, in all of those places where that right is not yet afforced each and every person".

The band added: "We also would like to send much love to the family of Mahsa Amini."