'Barbaric, heartbreaking': Outrage ensues after Iranian man 'shot dead' for celebrating World Cup 2022 exit
A football fan, Mehran Samak, was allegedly shot dead by Islamic Regime security forces on Tuesday night after he celebrated Iran's defeat to the USA at the Qatar World Cup 2022, sparking massive outrage on social media.
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FollowThe Islamic Regime security forces allegedly shot and killed a football enthusiast on Wednesday after he cheered Iran's loss to the USA at the Qatar World Cup 2022. The authorities allegedly shot 27-year-old Mehran Samak in the head in the eastern Iranian city of Anzali after he honked his car horn to celebrate the Iranian national team's 1-0 defeat.
A member of Iran's security forces reportedly approached Samak and his fiancée's car as they were seated inside when the football fan was shot in the head. After being transported to the hospital, he passed away an hour later.
Samak had joined dozens of other Iranians across the nation in expressing growing resentment toward the Islamic Regime while celebrating the national team's defeat by the United States.
Many interpreted the game's outcome as a win over the Iranian government, which has repressed months-long nationwide demonstrations by the Islamic Republic.
Football supporters in the Kurdish area of Iran lit fireworks and blared their horns early on Wednesday to celebrate their team's loss.
Some protesters yelled, "Death to the dictator," referring to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At least 300 people have been killed in the country's western Kurdish region's violent protests and bloody reaction by security forces. The protests started in September after Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish lady, died under the morality police's care in Tehran.
Three days after her detention in Tehran for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code for women, the 22-year-old woman passed away. The protests swiftly developed into Iran's most significant theocratic challenge since its inception during the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
According to Iranian authorities, the protest movement was allegedly orchestrated by foreign parties, primarily the United States, but no proof has been offered.
Iran's national team fell to the United States 1-0 on Tuesday evening. The Iranian players took extra care to sing the national anthem before the match after Tehran authorities threatened them with punishment for their 'insulting' decision to skip it before the game against England.
For their final two games, against Wales and the United States, a lawmaker from Iran threatened them with a penalty if they didn't start singing the national song.
Before the Wales game, they chanted the national anthem, but last Monday, before their 6-2 World Cup loss to England, they stood stony-faced while the anthem played at the Khalifa International Stadium. It was perceived as a show of support for the protests now roiling Iran in the wake of Amini's passing.
Mehran Samak's death has sparked massive outrage on Twitter, with most users calling the 'barbaric' incident 'heartbreaking'.
"Tragic. Every day we're insulted by the crimes of the Islamic Republic of Iran's theocracy. Every day another affront to human decency. Every day another hero extinguished from the gene pool. #IranRevolution," noted one user on the micro-blogging site.
Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad noted, "Dear members of @USMNT say his name. Dear @tyler_adams14 you can be his voice. He doesn't have any voice inside Iran. Iranian regime killed home for celebrating the US victory in the World Cup. #MehranSamak was only 27 when he got shot in the head."
Another angry user blamed the FIFA President for Samak's death. "This is on Gianni Infantino. Iranians don't have freedom to celebrate for any other team. If #Iranian regime was banned from participating in World Cup, Mehran Samak would have been alive today as many others. #FIFA supports Iranian terrorism #Iran #IranRevolution2022," he stated.
A fourth user remarked, "This is straight out of an unbelievable book. As a kid #MehranSamak played in a team with #SaeedEzatolahi 1 of the Iranian players who played against the USA that night so 2 teammates 1 plays the world cup & the other gets shot in the head while celebrating. #IranRevoIution"
Here's a look at some of the other reactions:
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