OAN Staff Addie Davis
6:27 PM – Thursday, March 19, 2026
The Iranian Islamic regime reportedly executed Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old champion wrestler, in addition to two others, on Thursday through public hangings in the city of Qom in Iran.
Mohammadi, 19, as well as two other men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, were all charged with the murder of two Iranian law enforcement officers in separate incidents during the protests that swept across the Islamic Republic in late December and January.
The convictions were reported by the Iranian judiciary-affiliated media outlet, Mizan News Agency.
The report, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), claimed that their charges included, “Moharebeh [“waging war against God”] through drawing cold weapons during illegal gatherings and protests leading to the murder of law enforcement agents; operational action in favor of the Israeli regime and the hostile government of the United States of America and their affiliated elements; inciting people to war and killing with the intent to disrupt national security.”
However, according to the human rights organization Hengaw, the executions were carried out “secretly.” This contradicts the report from the judiciary-linked Mizan News Agency, which claimed the hangings took place publicly before a crowd in Qom, as noted by HRANA.
Hengaw further detailed that Mohammadi consistently denied the charges, maintaining that his confession was coerced through torture. Additionally, the organization highlighted a significant lack of physical evidence, as the court reportedly dismissed both witness testimony from his family and CCTV footage that failed to place him at the crime scene.
“The protesters executed today were sentenced to death following grossly unfair trials, based on confessions extracted under torture and coercion. We consider these executions to constitute extrajudicial killings, carried out with the intent of creating terror to suppress political dissent,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), which the organization posted to X on Thursday.
“The Islamic Republic is fighting for its survival and knows that the greatest threat to its existence comes from the Iranian people who demand fundamental change.”
Nima Far, a human rights activist and expert on elite Iranian wrestling, told Fox News Digital that the “execution was a blatant political murder.”
“His execution was a blatant political murder, part of the Islamic Republic’s pattern of targeting athletes to crush dissent and terrorize society, as seen with Navid Afkari and others executed despite international outcry.”
Far also called for Iran to be “banned from international competitions until it halts executions of protesters and athletes, releases those jailed in sham trials, and ends retaliation against competitors who speak out or defect.”
According to a February United Nations (UN) press release, Iranian authorities acknowledged at least 3,117 deaths in relation to the protests, though the UN also notes that human rights organizations estimate that number to actually be “in the tens of thousands.”
In a January 28th post, the Persian language X account of the U.S. State Department called for the halt of the execution.
“The United States is deeply concerned by reports about Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old wrestling champion facing imminent execution. The Islamic Republic of Iran regime is massacring youth and destroying Iran’s future.”
“We call on the Iranian regime to halt the execution of Saleh Mohammadi and all individuals sentenced to death for seeking to exercise their fundamental rights,” it continued.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
