About 400 Shia Muslims have attended an event in the centre of Leicester to mark an international day of mourning. The Day of Ashura, which takes place on Tuesday, is the climax of a period of remembrance for Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The assembly in Humberstone Gate saw people dressed in black to recite eulogies and listen to speeches. Hussein was killed in Karbala, in what is now called Iraq, 1,300 years ago after standing up to a corrupt ruler.

Sunday's event was organised by community group MKSI Leicester and was attended by people from Leicester's Khoja, Afghani and Pakistani Shia Muslim communities.

Loughborough University student Mohamed Ali Muraj, who gave a speech at the assembly, said the event carried a timeless message. He said: "Imam Hussein was a man who stood up for truth against the tyrant of his time and for that he had to pay a great cost. "The message we are portraying today isn't just confined to Shia Islam but is a universal message throughout humanity."