Iranian authorities executed 19-year-old national wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi at Qom Central Prison, alongside two others, for alleged involvement in protests. The men were convicted of moharebeh and killing security officers during a demonstration in Qom on January 8, 2026. The move has sparked international condemnation despite pleas for clemency.
On Thursday, Iranian officials carried out the execution by hanging of Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling champion, at dawn in Qom Central Prison. He was executed with Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, all detained in connection with nationwide protests in late 2025 and early 2026. The three were convicted of moharebeh, meaning 'waging war against God,' and the alleged killing of two Law Enforcement Command (Faraja) officers during a protest in Qom on January 8, 2026. Human rights groups, such as the HENGAW Organization for Human Rights and Iran Human Rights, described the trials as 'sham trials.' Reports indicate Mohammadi's conviction rested mainly on confessions obtained through physical and psychological torture, which he retracted in court, claiming coercion. The judiciary dismissed his testimony and overlooked evidence like family witness statements and CCTV footage that reportedly did not place him at the scene. The executions proceeded despite international appeals, including a U.S. statement via @USABehFarsi on January 29, 2026, expressing deep concern and accusing the regime of 'massacring youth.' Dissident Masih Alinejad stated on March 19, 2026: 'The regime has done the exact opposite of what it signaled to the world... This is not just about sports; this is about human dignity.' Mohammadi, a rising star who won a medal at an international freestyle competition in Russia, drew parallels to wrestler Navid Afkari's 2020 execution. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam of Iran Human Rights said the acts aim to 'terrorize society' amid pressures. Groups warn hundreds of protest detainees face similar risks.
