Iran: Man killed as anti-government protesters celebrate World Cup defeat - CNN

CNN  — 

A antheral is reported to person been killed by information forces successful bluish Iran during nationalist celebrations by anti-government protesters pursuing the national shot team’s decision against the United States connected Tuesday.

Norway-based rights radical Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Mehran Samak was changeable successful the caput by information unit erstwhile helium was retired celebrating successful Bandar Anzali Tuesday night. IHR said they confirmed the accusation done “several autarkic sources.”

“His sanction was #MehranSamak. He was changeable successful the caput by authorities forces erstwhile helium went retired to observe the Islamic Republic’s nonaccomplishment astatine FIFA World Cup2022 successful Bandar Anzali past nighttime similar galore crossed the country. He was conscionable 27 years old,” Iran Human Rights said connected Wednesday.

IHR and different activistic groups had initially reported that authorities were holding Samak’s assemblage and were refusing to manus it backmost to his family. IHR shared a video showing radical gathered extracurricular the state’s Forensic Medical Organization demanding the assemblage beryllium returned to his family.

Later connected Wednesday, pro-reform quality outlet IranWire shared video showing crowds astatine Samak’s ceremonial successful Bandar Anzali chanting “death to dictator.”

Iranian constabulary denied that Samak was killed by authorities and announced the apprehension of respective suspects, Iran’s authorities aligned Tasmin quality bureau reported Thursday.

“Following the shot crippled betwixt our nationalist squad and the US, a fig of rioters had gathered successful the Cheraq Bargh 4th of Anzali and the corpse of a man, astir 30, was discovered. Based connected existing evidence, helium had been changeable by a hunting rifle,” Bandar Anzali constabulary main Colonel Jafar Javanmardi said according to Tasnim.

Javanmardi denied absorption media reports that Samak had been changeable successful the caput by authorities saying, “initially, the counter-revolutionary and absorption media had reported this arsenic this young antheral having been changeable successful the caput by the authorities and having aboriginal died successful the hospital,” according to Tasnim.

Tasnim besides published Samak’s photograph with the article.

Anzali County’s constabulary main besides said that a fig of suspects were identified and arrested and the effort to place the assailant continues, Tasnim reported.

Samak was a adjacent person of Saeid Ezatolahi, a subordinate of Iran’s nationalist shot team, who had conscionable returned to Iran aft the team’s exit from the World Cup successful Qatar. The footballer posted a tribute to his puerility person connected Instagram connected Wednesday.

“I privation we could ever enactment astatine the aforesaid age…. without immoderate concerns, without hate, without jealousy, without warring to enactment each different down…. There is overmuch to accidental my puerility squad mate but unluckily radical are drowning successful ego and jealousy and becoming a messiness that you tin hardly adjacent find radical listening to these words oregon they don’t beryllium astatine all…

“Definitely aft different bitter nighttime past nighttime and with the quality of your death, my bosom is adjacent much connected fire.”

Iranian authoritative Mehdi Fallah Miri said a lawsuit into the “suspicious” sidesplitting of Samak had been opened aft helium died “due to a pellet bullet,” the state-aligned Iran Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported Thursday.

“As soon arsenic this suspicious incidental happened, a lawsuit was opened to woody with the contented and the authoritative of Bandar Anzali is handling the case,” Miri added, according to ISNA.

Several videos were posted connected societal media Tuesday nighttime showing radical successful cities crossed Iran, including successful the superior Tehran, celebrating wrong their homes and residential buildings aft the US defeated Iran 1-0 successful the World Cup.

“I americium happy, this is the authorities losing to the people,” 1 witnesser to celebrations successful a metropolis successful the Kurdish portion told CNN connected Wednesday. CNN is not naming the witnesser for information concerns.

Activist outlet 1500tasvir besides posted videos showing information forces reportedly connected Tuesday night, opening occurrence astatine radical successful Behbahan and beating up a pistillate successful Qazvin, some cities southbound of Bandar Anzali wherever Samak is said to person been shot.

CNN cannot independently corroborate the accusation arsenic Iran’s authorities is not allowing overseas media into the country, and has not been transparent successful its reporting connected protests and protestation casualties.

Demonstrations person rocked Iran for respective months, sparking a deadly clampdown from authorities.

The nationwide uprising was archetypal ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian pistillate who died successful mid-September aft being detained by the country’s morality police. Since then, protesters crossed Iran person coalesced astir a scope of grievances with the regime.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has said that the state is successful a “full-fledged quality rights crisis” arsenic authorities ace down connected the protests.