Iran executes national team wrestler after disputed protest conviction

2026-03-19 - 12:44

Iran executed Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old member of the national wrestling team, on Thursday, along with two other young men, after convicting them of involvement in the killing of two law enforcement officers during protests. Iranian state news agencies announced Thursday morning the execution of three protesters detained during the most recent wave of demonstrations. According to reports, Mehdi Qasemi, Saleh Mohammadi, and Saeed Davoudi were arrested on December 18, 2025. Iranian state media had alleged that the three acted against national security and were designated as "Moharebeh" (enemies of God – a capital charge under Iranian law), a label the regime has repeatedly applied to protest-related cases. The criminal court in Qom Province was at the center of the controversy after sentencing Mohammadi to death by public hanging in Nabut Square in the city, on a charge of "premeditated murder," according to a report by Iran International that was corroborated by additional outlets. 19-year-old member of Iran's national wrestling team, Saleh Mohammadi No way out According to the court's account, on the night of December 18, 2025, during a protest in Nabut Square, Molotov cocktails were thrown at police officers. Mohammad Qasemi Hompour, an officer in a special unit, was killed after being knocked from his motorcycle and sustaining stab wounds. The pathology report found 29 injuries on the victim's body, one of which was identified as the primary cause of death. The court linked that injury to "Mohammadi's knife," based on confessions obtained during the investigation. Mohammadi denied the charges and maintained that his confessions were obtained under pressure and threats. Security cameras did not capture his face, and according to testimony from his family, his teammates, and his coaches, he was not at the scene at all but rather at his uncle's home. Despite this, the court also relied on witnesses whose identities were not disclosed to secure the conviction. The family's attempts to appoint an independent lawyer were denied, and the court appointed state defense counsel. In addition to the death sentence, Mohammadi was ordered to pay compensation for the injuries caused. The ruling was open to appeal – but the appeal changed nothing. Mohammadi had been considered one of the most promising talents in his sport. In September 2024, he won a bronze medal at the Buvaisar Saitiev International Tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, representing the Iranian national team. Just three months before his execution on Thursday, in the final post on his Instagram account, he uploaded a video of his return to training after a lengthy injury and wrote, "And we held on beyond what we ever imagined for ourselves" – words that now read as an eerie foreshadowing of how his story would end.