27-year-old Iranian man reportedly shot dead by authorities for honking horn to celebrate team's World Cup exit

• A 27-year-old Iranian man was reportedly shot by Iranian authorities for celebrating the team's World cup exit Tuesday, according to human rights groups.
• Mehran Samak was reportedly shot while honking his horn.

A 27-year-old Iranian man was shot dead by Iranian authorities in the city of Bandar-e Anzali for celebrating the team's World Cup exit, according to The Guardian.

Citing human rights groups, The Guardian reported that Mehran Samak was honking his horn in celebration of Iran's 1-0 loss to the US in the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.

Samak "was targeted directly and shot in the head by security forces," the group Iran Human Rights said in a statement.

According to The Guardian, Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based organization, also reported that Samak was killed while celebrating the World Cup loss.

There have been nationwide protests and civil unrest in Iran after a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, died after falling into a coma while in the custody of the country's morality police. She had been detained for not wearing a hijab.

Iranian midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who played in Tuesday's match, posted a tribute to Samak, calling him a childhood teammate.

"After last night's bitter defeat, the news of your passing has set my heart on fire," Ezatolahi wrote, according to a translation from Gol Bezan. "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."

—Gol Bezan (@GolBezan) November 30, 2022