Soccer fan assassinated for honking car horn after Iran loss
A death occurred in Iran reportedly after a fan celebrated the nation’s loss from the World Cup. Iran lost to the United States men’s national team on Tuesday. The victory for the Americans meant that they would qualify for the knockout round of the tournament.
Mehran Sammak, 27, was supposedly killed in his car after honking for joy following the match. German lawyer Niema Movassat tweeted a photo of Sammak along with a message claiming that he was assassinated by regime militias.
“Mehran Sammak was only 27 years old,” said Movassat. “Regime militias shot him in the head in Anzali, northern Iran. Reason for his assassination: he honked his car horn for joy at the elimination of the Iranian team at the #WM [World Cup].”
Jounalist Maryam Moqaddam also confirmed the news on Twitter as well. Based out of London, Moqaddam works for an Iranian news outlet.
Tensions in Iran have increased since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16th. The Kurdish woman died while in custody inside the Middle Eastern country.
Fan death in Iran loss not the first instance of protest
Protests of the nation have even reached the World Cup. Qatar deployed extra security officials at stadiums during Iranian matches. Officers made Iranian fans unfurl flags prior to entering the stadiums around Doha.
Some fans brought large letters to collectively spell out Amini’s name during the match against the Americans. Many fans inside the stadium applauded the gesture. Reuters reported officials inside the stadium eventually took the signs. However, officials let the fans stay at their seats.
Previously, Iranian players did not sing their national anthem in the opening match of the tournament. However, the starting XI sang along with the theme for the next two matches. Iran authorities reportedly threatened the family of any player that refused to sing the national anthem.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Ulmer/Teamfoto