“Mojtaba Khamenei regime executes champion wrestler as Iran intensifies brutal crackdown during war”
Wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi faces imminent execution in Iran for protest participation as international pressure mounts to save the athlete. (The Foreign Desk)
Posted For: Landru
Iran’s judiciary carried out the execution of 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi on Thursday despite warnings from the U.S. State Department and appeals from prominent Iranian-American wrestlers who had urged authorities not to carry out the sentence.
Human rights activists and Iranian dissidents reported that Mohammadi was put to death by public hanging, describing the act as a harsh measure by the ruling system under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei aimed at suppressing the protest movement challenging the government.
Nima Far, a human rights advocate and Iranian combat sports figure known for his expertise in Iranian wrestling, said the execution was politically motivated. He argued that the government has repeatedly targeted well-known athletes to intimidate the public and silence dissent. Far pointed to the earlier execution of wrestler Navid Afkari as another example carried out despite strong international condemnation.
Far also criticized major international sports organizations for not taking stronger action. He said the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling should have issued clear warnings that Iran could face immediate suspension from international competition if the execution went forward, instead of relying on behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Both organizations released statements only after being contacted for comment following Mohammadi’s death sentence.
He further called for international sports bodies to take firm action, arguing that Iran should be barred from global competitions until executions of protesters and athletes stop, individuals convicted in what critics call unfair trials are released, and retaliation against athletes who speak out or defect ends.
Following news of Mohammadi’s execution, reactions from Iranian commentators and activists quickly spread.
Iran expert Alireza Nader expressed sympathy for Mohammadi and his family, saying the international community should consider a sports boycott of the Iranian government. He also noted that athletes inside Iran face extremely difficult conditions, with some reportedly living under intense state pressure. Still, he argued that there must be consequences to deter further executions of young protesters.
Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad wrote on social media that the government carried out the execution of the young national wrestling champion during wartime conditions despite earlier signals to the international community, including President Donald Trump, that executions of protesters might be halted. According to Alinejad, three young men — Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi — were executed in Qom after what she described as a sham legal process involving alleged torture, forced confessions, closed-door proceedings, and no meaningful right to appeal.
She called on international athlete organizations to support Iranian competitors who she said are being silenced, jailed, or executed for speaking out.
Earlier in the year, the U.S. State Department’s Persian-language social media account warned that Mohammadi could soon face execution and urged Iranian authorities to stop the sentence. The message said the United States was deeply concerned and called on the government to halt executions of individuals sentenced to death for exercising basic rights.
Several prominent Iranian-American wrestlers had also publicly urged authorities to spare Mohammadi’s life. Sardar Pashaei, a Greco-Roman wrestling world champion who previously coached Iran’s elite national team, and Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, the first American woman to win a medal at a wrestling world championship in 1989, both appealed for the government to stop what they described as the targeting of athletes.
Speaking after the execution, Pashaei said he was devastated by the outcome and described the event as a sign of the government’s brutality. He said he had spoken with a coach from Iran’s national wrestling team before internet access was restricted and had been warned that Mohammadi’s situation was dire. Despite efforts to raise awareness, Pashaei said he was unable to prevent the execution.
Today, in Iran, in the middle of a war, the regime executed a 19-year-old national wrestling champion for the crime of joining January protests. 💔
After signaling to the world, including President @realDonaldTrump, that they would halt executions of protesters, the regime has… pic.twitter.com/GzaoiI71JJ
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) March 19, 2026
Even in the midst of war, the Islamic Republic does not abandon its longstanding practice of using the death penalty to instil fear among the population. Today, three young men who were detained during the January protests were executed.
Anyone presenting themselves as part of… pic.twitter.com/YxJFac86uD— Shadi Sadr (@shadisadr) March 19, 2026
According to Iran International, Mohammadi, Ghasemi, and Davoudi were accused by authorities of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier in the year. The judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported that the men allegedly attacked the officers with knives and swords during demonstrations on January 8 in the city of Qom.
Authorities also claimed the suspects were acting on behalf of Israel and the United States, a charge that critics say the government frequently makes against protesters and dissidents.
Mohammadi had been a rising athlete in Iran’s wrestling program. In September 2024, he earned a bronze medal representing Iran in freestyle wrestling at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
The human rights organization Hengaw said Mohammadi was executed early Thursday morning at Qom Central Prison after being convicted of “enmity against God,” a charge often used in cases involving political unrest. The group also shared video footage of Mohammadi wrestling, which he had previously posted on social media documenting his athletic training and achievements.
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