Germany, Denmark, Netherlands Pledge Ukraine Leopard 1 Tanks

06 February 2023, Austria, Wels: Soldiers drive the main battle tank "Leopard 2A4" during a military drill at the Hessen Barracks in Wels. (dpa)
06 February 2023, Austria, Wels: Soldiers drive the main battle tank "Leopard 2A4" during a military drill at the Hessen Barracks in Wels. (dpa)
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Germany, Denmark, Netherlands Pledge Ukraine Leopard 1 Tanks

06 February 2023, Austria, Wels: Soldiers drive the main battle tank "Leopard 2A4" during a military drill at the Hessen Barracks in Wels. (dpa)
06 February 2023, Austria, Wels: Soldiers drive the main battle tank "Leopard 2A4" during a military drill at the Hessen Barracks in Wels. (dpa)

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands say they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks.

The announcement Tuesday comes after Germany agreed last month to allow deliveries of the more modern Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the defense ministers of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands said the shipment of older Leopard 1 tanks was part of an effort “to support Ukraine in their endeavor to withstand Russian aggression.”

“(It) will significantly enhance Ukraine’s military potential for the restoration of their violated territorial integrity,” they said, adding that the delivery would occur “within the coming months” and include logistical support and training.



Iran Police Commander Dismissed After Death in Custody

A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
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Iran Police Commander Dismissed After Death in Custody

A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)

Iran's police force has dismissed the commander of a city in the northern province of Gilan after the death in custody of a detainee, state media said on Saturday.

Mohammad Mir Mousavi, 36, was arrested on July 22 after being involved in a fight in Lahijan, police said in a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.

"The police commander... was dismissed due to insufficient oversight of the conduct and behaviour of staff," the police said, AFP reported.

"Due to the complexity of the matter, the final conclusion on the cause of Mohammad Mir Mousavi's death depends on the medical examiner's final report.

The police said the station commander and several officers involved in the incident had been suspended.

"The behaviour of some law enforcement officers was against the professional policy of the police and that is not acceptable in any way, so they were referred to the judicial authority," the statement added.

The Norway-based Kurdish human rights organization, Hengaw, on Wednesday said Mir Mousavi "was killed under torture in the detention center".

On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the case.

Dismissals of members of the security forces are rare in Iran.

In 2022, the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who had been arrested in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress code for women, sparked months of deadly nationwide protests.