“19-year-old young fighter executed by the Iranian regime after protests.”

An unprecedented act of brutality has shaken the world of sports and human rights: the Iranian regime executed young wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, just 19 years old, in yet another demonstration of repression and control over dissent. This tragic event, which occurs amid international tensions with powers such as the United States and Israel, reveals the desperation of a government that does not hesitate to silence voices through violence.

Mohammadi was one of three individuals executed in recent hours, alongside Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi. The young athlete, who excelled in wrestling—a sport considered national in Iran—was accused of murdering a police officer during the unrest that erupted last November in response to an oppressive regime. However, the most serious charges against him were made under the nebulous allegation of “enmity with God” and being an agent of foreign powers.

Originally, the execution was scheduled to take place in public, but sources from Iran revealed that the act was carried out behind closed doors in a prison in Qom, a city that the Islamic Republic considers sacred. This shocking execution was carried out even after appeals from the U.S. State Department for its suspension, demonstrating a concerning disregard on the part of the Iranian regime for external pressures.

Reports from human rights activists in Iran indicate that the trials leading to these executions were conducted without any legal guarantees. The hearings took place behind closed doors, with no possibility of appeal, and confessions were obtained under torture, raising serious questions about the justice and morality of the Iranian judicial system.

Iranian human rights activist and athlete Nima Far, speaking to Fox News, described these executions as a deliberate strategy to terrorize the population. “It is a plan by the Islamic Republic to terrorize society by targeting athletes,” she stated, emphasizing the calculated nature of this repression.

This is not an isolated incident in the dark history of the Iranian regime. In 2020, another wrestler, Navid Afkari, was executed under similar circumstances, despite a massive global campaign calling for his release and allegations that the charges against him were fabricated.

Nima Far did not hold back in her criticism of international sports organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation, which, according to her, failed to intervene publicly. “They should have threatened to suspend Iran instead of relying on ineffective and silent diplomacy,” Far expressed, highlighting the urgent need for a firmer and more assertive response to human rights violations in sports.

The execution of Saleh Mohammadi is not just a personal tragedy; it is an alarming sign of a regime that continues to use force to intimidate and silence dissent. The international community must act swiftly to prevent this cycle of violence and oppression from perpetuating.