World Cup 2022: A protester celebrating Iran’s World Cup exit was shot dead
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Alaina
- . December 1, 2022
- . Update: December 1, 2022 3:28 pm
A protester is reported to have been killed by Iranian security forces in the Islamic Republic of Iran because he celebrated his football team’s loss to the United States at the World Cup, according to the rights group.
According to the rights group, a man identified as Mehran Samak was shot in the head by the security forces because he honked his car’s horn in Bandar Anzali, a city on the Caspian Sea coast, on Tuesday night.
Many Iranians refused to support their football team in the Qatar World Cup to protest against the Iranian regime. The Iranian players also did not sing the national anthem before their first game at the Qatar World Cup.
Iranian authorities blamed hostile forces for putting pressure on Iranian players at the World Cup. However, there were reports that the Iranian players came under intense pressure from Iranian authorities.
Read | Iran vs USA: It’s tough to focus on just football
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) reportedly said that Mehran Samak was directly shot in the head by security forces following the defeat of the Iranian national team against America. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) also confirmed his death.
During his funeral ceremony, people chanted, “You are the filth, you are immoral, I am a free woman.” Iranian international midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi also posted a picture of him on his Instagram account. He reportedly wrote, “After last night’s bitter loss, the news of your passing set fire to my heart.”
Anti-regime and anti-government protests have rocked Iran since the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. She was arrested by morality police in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on September 13, for allegedly violating the strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab (headscarf). She died on September 16 at a hospital in Tehran due to severe injuries.
