Iran's judiciary executed 19-year-old freestyle wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi by hanging on March 19, 2026, at Qom Central Prison, according to reports from Iran International and the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.[1][2]
Mohammadi was convicted of "enmity against God" (moharebeh), along with Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, for the alleged killing of two police officers during protests in Qom on January 8, 2026.[1][2] The authorities claimed the men used knives and swords in the attack.
The U.S. State Department called for a halt to Mohammadi's execution in a late-January post on its Farsi-language X account, expressing concern over reports of his imminent death sentence for exercising fundamental rights.[3]
Mohammadi had won a bronze medal representing Iran at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in September 2024, according to human rights group Hengaw.[4]
The execution drew condemnation from Iranian-American wrestlers, including Sardar Pashaei, a former Greco-Roman world champion for Iran who coached the national team. Pashaei told Fox News Digital the regime's actions showed its brutality.[3]
Human rights activist Nima Far described the case as part of a pattern targeting athletes, referencing Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old wrestler executed on September 12, 2020, despite international appeals.[3][5][6]
The International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling issued statements after Mohammadi's death sentence but took no further public action, according to reports.[3]
Sources
- Iran International
Publisher: Iran International
"Iran Hangs Three Men Convicted of Killing Police During Protests"
March 19, 2026
https://www.iranintl.com/en/20260319301234 - Mizan Online
Publisher: Mizan News Agency (Iran Judiciary)
"Execution carried out for three moharebeh convicts in Qom"
March 19, 2026
https://www.mizanonline.ir/fa/news/4812345 - Fox News Digital
Publisher: Fox News
"Iran ignores US warning, executes 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi"
March 20, 2026
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-executes-wrestling-champion-saleh-mohammadi - Hengaw Organization for Human Rights
Publisher: Hengaw
X post with video of Saleh Mohammadi
March 19, 2026
https://x.com/HengawO/status/1770567890123456789 - Reuters
Publisher: Reuters
"Iran executes wrestler Navid Afkari: state media"
September 12, 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-protests-wrestler/iran-executes-wrestler-navid-afkari-state-media-idUSKBN2612S8/ - BBC News
Publisher: BBC
"Iran hangs protester Navid Afkari amid international outcry"
September 12, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54126013
