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That happened

Mehran Samak, 27, took part in protests against the Iranian regime in the city of Bandar Anzali after the World Cup match between the United States and Iran. The demonstrators celebrated the victory of the opponent – or rather the defeat of their own team, seen by parts of the Iranian population as a symbol of the regime.

After Samak honked his horn in joy at the defeat or as an act of protest, he was “attacked directly by the security forces and shot in the head”. This is reported by the Norwegian-based human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR).

The background

Iran played the United States at the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday. A game that contained a lot of explosives due to the political situation between the two countries. The countries have not maintained diplomatic relations since the 1980s. In the run-up to the match, there were mutual provocations:

But the game was fair on the field and the players treated each other with great respect. Still, the 1-0 victory by the US caused quite a stir, especially on the Iranian streets. Photos of the Iranians celebrating their team’s defeat went viral on social media.

The cheers were another form of protest against the Iranian regime. For weeks and after the alleged violent death of 22-year-old Kurd Mahsa Amini, protests have been going on in countless Iranian cities for more women’s and human rights in the strictly Islamic-governed state.

The protests are accompanied by harsh repression by the authorities. At least 448 people have been killed by Iranian security forces, and countless others have been injured and arrested, according to the IHR.

The reaction of the Iranian player Ezatolahi

Samak’s death is particularly tragic for Saeid Ezatolahi. Like Samak, Ezatolahi is from Bandar Anzali, a city of about 120,000 people northwest of Tehran on the Caspian Sea. The 26-year-old Iranian midfielder knew Samak from their time together at the football club when the two were children. Ezatolahi posted a message on an Instagram story mourning the loss of his childhood friend.

He wrote in it, addressed to Samak, that the news of his death after the bitter defeat broke his heart, as the Guardian reports.

Ezatolahi did not directly comment on the circumstances of the death, but expressed cryptically: “One day the masks will fall, the truth will come out.” And he added: “This is not what our youth deserved. This is not what our country deserves.”

The Iranian players are in an extremely difficult situation. On the one hand, the government expects them to “represent” Iran properly. On the other hand, the protesting population hopes for high-profile signs on the world’s largest possible stage in Qatar, as a show of solidarity with the people.

In the first match of the World Cup, the players complied by not singing along with the national anthem. In the second game, however, they did so timidly again – probably under pressure from the regime and under threat of penalty kicks. Before the game against the USA, there were also reports that the Iranians in Qatar were being watched and threatened.

The Iranian cheering protests

Despite the government’s brutal crackdown, Iranians elsewhere cheered and protested in the aftermath of the match. There were also spontaneous celebrations in Tehran and in Sanandaj, the Kurdish capital, because of the defeat, according to the Guardian. After the defeat against England, there were already similar scenes.

Among other things, the people chanted “Death to the dictator”. This refers to the religious leader and Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The slogan is considered one of the most important and is repeatedly shouted during the protests.

Horn concerts also took place in the streets in several places – for Mehran Samak this meant the death sentence. (con)