An Iranian man was reportedly executed by security forces after celebrating the United States of America's 2022 FIFA World Cup win over his home nation this week.
Iran's journey in the tournament has not been one without controversy, with the squad protesting the current regime in the country by staying silent while the national anthem played ahead of their first match in Qatar.
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The national team faced criticism from their government as a result, which led to their protest ending for their second Group B clash against Wales.
While the players decided to stop protesting, supporters continued and were often pictured with banners and shirts that had a political message or protesting Mahsa Amini's death after she was reportedly killed while in Iranian police custody in September.
As such, Iran's exit from the tournament, which came after their 1-0 defeat to the USA on Tuesday night, was likely to draw a number of different reactions among dissenters and supporters of the regime in the country.
An Oslo-based group called Iran Human Rights (IHR) has now revealed that an Iranian man, Mehran Samak, was shot dead in Bandar Anzali, a city north-west of Tehran, after honking his car horn in celebration of the US' win over Iran earlier this week.
The report adds that Samak "was targeted directly and shot in the head by security forces… following the defeat of the national team against America".
The IHR group reports that Iran's security forces have killed at least 448 civilians during a crackdown on protests, including 60 children under the age of 18, while 29 women have also lost their lives.
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Iran international Saeid Ezatolahi has since revealed that he knew Samak, and posted a picture with the late 27-year-old on Instagram, along with the words: "I wish we could stay at that age forever. Without struggles, without hatred, without envy."After last night's bitter defeat, the news of your passing has set my heart on fire.
"Even now, writing this story, I still haven't slept. But old friend, you must know that day by day, there's less humanity in this world. This is not what our youth deserve. This is not what our nation deserves."
While the midfielder did not comment on the nature of his friend's death, he added: "Some day the masks will fall, the truth will be laid bare."
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