Iranian Killed For Celebrating Team’s World Cup Exit

An Iranian male citizen has been shot dead by security operatives as the team lost to the US and broke out of the World Cup. The anti-government protest took place at the stadium in Qatar and Iran.

The victim identified as Mehran Samak, who was 27 years old was allegedly killed for honking his car horn in Bandar Anzali, a city on the Caspian Sea coast, north-west of Tehran.

A civil society member in the country said he was targeted and shot on the head by the security agent as America defeated Iran in the ongoing world cup.

Samak “was targeted directly and shot in the head by security force following the defeat of the national team against America”, said the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights.

The contest between the two countries which severed diplomatic ties more than 40 years ago took place against a backdrop of violent repression in Iran after protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, in September.

Iran’s security forces have killed at least 448 people in the crackdown on the protests, including 60 children under the age of 18 and 29 women, according to IHR.

In an extraordinary twist, Iranian international midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who played in the US match and is from Bandar Anzali, revealed that he knew Samak and posted a picture of them together in a youth football team.

“After last night’s bitter loss, the news of your passing set fire to my heart,” said Ezatolahi on Instagram, describing Samak as a “childhood teammate.”