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Iranian security forces kill anti-government protester celebrating World Cup defeat, rights group says | CNN



CNN
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A person is reported to have been killed by safety forces in northern Iran throughout public celebrations by anti-government protesters following the nationwide soccer workforce’s defeat in opposition to the USA on Tuesday.

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) mentioned Mehran Samak was shot within the head by safety personnel when he was out celebrating in Bandar Anzali Tuesday night time. IHR mentioned they confirmed the knowledge via “a number of unbiased sources.”

“His identify was #MehranSamak. He was shot within the head by state forces when he went out to rejoice the Islamic Republic’s loss at FIFA World Cup2022 in Bandar Anzali final night time like many throughout the nation. He was simply 27 years outdated,” Iran Human Rights mentioned on Wednesday.

IHR and different activist teams had initially reported that authorities have been holding Samak’s physique and have been refusing handy it again to his household. IHR shared a video exhibiting folks gathered outdoors the state’s Forensic Medical Group demanding the physique be returned to his household.

In a while Wednesday, pro-reform information outlet IranWire shared video exhibiting crowds at Samak’s funeral in Bandar Anzali chanting “dying to dictator.”

Iranian police denied that Samak was killed by authorities and introduced the arrest of a number of suspects, Iran’s state aligned Tasmin information company reported Thursday.

“Following the soccer recreation between our nationwide workforce and the US, plenty of rioters had gathered within the Cheraq Bargh quarter of Anzali and the corpse of a person, round 30, was found. Primarily based on current proof, he had been shot by a looking rifle,” Bandar Anzali police chief Colonel Jafar Javanmardi mentioned in line with Tasnim.

Javanmardi denied opposition media reviews that Samak had been shot within the head by authorities saying, “initially, the counter-revolutionary and opposition media had reported this as this younger man having been shot within the head by the authorities and having later died within the hospital,” in line with Tasnim.

Tasnim additionally revealed Samak’s picture with the article.

Anzali County’s police chief additionally mentioned that plenty of suspects have been recognized and arrested and the try and determine the assailant continues, Tasnim reported.

Samak was a detailed pal of Saeid Ezatolahi, a member of Iran’s nationwide soccer workforce, who had simply returned to Iran after the workforce’s exit from the World Cup in Qatar. The footballer posted a tribute to his childhood pal on Instagram on Wednesday.

“I want we might all the time keep on the similar age…. with none considerations, with out hate, with out jealousy, with out combating to place one another down…. There may be a lot to say my childhood workforce mate however sadly individuals are drowning in ego and jealousy and turning into a large number which you could hardly even discover folks listening to those phrases or they don’t exist in any respect…

“Positively after one other bitter night time final night time and with the information of your dying, my coronary heart is much more on fireplace.”

Iranian prosecutor Mehdi Fallah Miri mentioned a case into the “suspicious” killing of Samak had been opened after he died “because of a pellet bullet,” the state-aligned Iran College students’ Information Company (ISNA) reported Thursday.

“As quickly as this suspicious incident occurred, a case was opened to take care of the difficulty and the prosecutor of Bandar Anzali is dealing with the case,” Miri added, in line with ISNA.

A number of movies have been posted on social media Tuesday night time exhibiting folks in cities throughout Iran, together with within the capital Tehran, celebrating inside their houses and residential buildings after the US defeated Iran 1-0 within the World Cup.

“I’m blissful, that is the federal government shedding to the folks,” one witness to celebrations in a metropolis within the Kurdish area advised CNN on Wednesday. CNN isn’t naming the witness for safety considerations.

Activist outlet 1500tasvir additionally posted movies exhibiting safety forces reportedly on Tuesday night time, opening fireplace at folks in Behbahan and beating up a lady in Qazvin, each cities south of Bandar Anzali the place Samak is claimed to have been shot.

CNN can’t independently affirm the knowledge as Iran’s authorities isn’t permitting overseas media into the nation, and has not been clear in its reporting on protests and protest casualties.

Demonstrations have rocked Iran for a number of months, sparking a lethal clampdown from authorities.

The nationwide rebellion was first ignited by the dying of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian lady who died in mid-September after being detained by the nation’s morality police. Since then, protesters throughout Iran have coalesced round a variety of grievances with the regime.

The United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has mentioned that the nation is in a “full-fledged human rights disaster” as authorities crack down on the protests.

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