Iranian man shot dead for celebrating team's defeat in World Cup

A 27-year-old man was reportedly shot dead by Iranian security forces for celebrating his national football team's defeat against the US in the FIFA World Cup.

The man, identified as Mehran Samak, was shot in the head in Bandar Anzali on Tuesday night.

He was killed for honking his car's horn in celebration. The Iranian team lost to the USA in the final group game. According to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR), Samak "was targeted directly and shot in the head by security force."

Videos and footage from his funeral show mourners chanting "death to the dictator."

Thousands of Iranians have boycotted their football team, who are participating in the World Cup in Qatar. The team's defeat was celebrated in several cities across Iran.

People could be seen waving scarves and cheering in videos that have now gone viral on the internet. Some were also filmed dancing to music in Kermanshah and Marivan.

The players themselves refused to sing the national anthem before their first game against England as a mark of protest against their government. After this incident, the team was warned against supporting the protesters, per a BBC report. The team then sang the anthem in the second game against Wales and again on Tuesday.

Samak is one of the hundreds of protesters killed by Iranian security forces as the country continues to see demonstrations over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

At least 448 people, including 60 children, have been killed since the beginning of the protests against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime.

The protests started 10 weeks ago, after Mahsa Amini's death in police custody. The woman was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the strict dress code that required her to wear a hijab.

The authorities have called the demonstrations "foreign-backed riots." The government has refused to back down, with thousands being put behind bars for participating in protests.