Iran kills Mehran Samak while he celebrated World Cup elimination, activists say - The Washington Post

Mehran Samak, 27, was changeable successful the caput Tuesday evening arsenic helium joined festivities successful the northwestern metropolis of Bandar Anzali, according to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) organization. Another group, the New York-based Center for Human Rights successful Iran, said Samak was reportedly killed by information forces portion honking his car’s horn arsenic portion of celebrations successful cities crossed the country.

In footage on societal media depicting scenes crossed the state overnight aft the match, car horns tin beryllium heard being blasted successful solemnisation aft the decision of the Team Melli, arsenic the squad is known successful Iran, successful what could beryllium interpreted arsenic a stroke to the country’s rulers.

The Washington Post could not independently verify the reports surrounding Samak’s death. But his decease was mourned by 1 of Iran’s nationalist shot players, who posted an representation of them unneurotic arsenic children and described Samak arsenic a “childhood teammate.”

“I privation we had stayed this property forever,” Saeid Ezatolahi wrote connected Instagram. “After past night’s bitter game, my bosom burned adjacent much astatine the quality of your death.”

The Center for Human Rights successful Iran connected Wednesday shared a video purporting to amusement Samak’s funeral, with mourners chanting anti-government slogans including “Death to the dictator.”

The refrain — which refers to Iran’s ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — has go a diagnostic of the protests that person gripped Iran since the decease successful September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, successful constabulary custody.

Amini died 3 days aft being detained by “morality police” implicit allegedly improperly wearing a hijab, the mandatory caput covering. The lawsuit spurred a question of unrest that rapidly grew from choler against Iran’s strict Islamic formal codification to absorption to the country’s authorities.

The Iranian quality bureau the Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated with the country’s authorities broadcaster, reported Thursday that Samak’s assemblage had been recovered aft “rioters” gathered successful Bandar Anzali. Quoting a section constabulary official, the website said Samak was killed with a “hunting weapon” and that authorities had arrested a fig of suspects.

Iran has launched a brutal crackdown connected the protestation movement, which it has blamed connected overseas countries without providing grounds of a link.

Some 459 radical person been killed successful the anti-government protests truthful far, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.

Separately Wednesday, the Oslo-based IHR raised concerns astir a fig of protesters who it said could beryllium executed imminently. Quoting media reports, the radical said that six radical had been sentenced to decease and that 26 others were facing charges for which they tin beryllium executed.