Teenage Wrestling Star Among Three Executed as Iran Ramps Up Post-Protest Crackdown

​QOM – The Islamic Republic has carried out the execution of 19-year-old national wrestling bronze medalist Saleh Mohammadi, alongside two other men, sparking an outcry from human rights organizations who describe the move as a “tactical escalation” to stifle domestic dissent.

​Mohammadi, who only turned 19 last week, was hanged at dawn on Thursday in the city of Qom. Also executed were Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi. The trio had been convicted of moharebeh—or “waging war against God”—and the alleged killing of two law enforcement officers, Mohammad Ghasemi Hamapour and Abbas Asadi, during the height of anti-government demonstrations on January 8, 2026.

​From the Podium to the Gallows

​Before his arrest, Saleh Mohammadi was a rising star in Iran’s freestyle wrestling circuit. Born in March 2007, he gained international recognition in September 2024 when he clinched a bronze medal for the Iranian national team at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. His transition from a celebrated athlete to a condemned prisoner has become a poignant symbol of the state’s severe response to the recent unrest.

​Allegations of Torture and Unfair Trials

​Rights groups, including Amnesty International and the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, have slammed the proceedings as “grossly unfair.” Reports indicate that Mohammadi was denied access to independent legal counsel and that his conviction rested almost entirely on confessions extracted under severe physical and psychological torture.

ADVERTISEMENT

​While the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency claimed the men were “foreign-instigated rioters” acting in favor of Israel and the United States, activists argue the executions are a desperate attempt by the regime to project strength amidst ongoing regional military tensions.

​The UN Fact-Finding Mission recently warned that the window between arrest and execution has shortened significantly in 2026, bypassing standard legal appeals as the country remains on a war footing. These three deaths bring the estimated number of executions in Iran to record highs, further isolating Tehran on the global stage.