Iran Executes Teen Wrestler and Two Others in Qom Hangings
Three men, including 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, were publicly hanged in Qom in the first executions linked to the December–January protests, prompting rights groups to warn of more executions amid wartime conditions.
FOX NewsOlympians speak out against Iran's public execution of champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
BBC NewsIran: Teenager among first to be executed over anti-government protests
Breitbart NewsIran Executes 19-Year-Old Champion Wrestler Saleh Mohammadi in Public Hanging
CBS NewsIran hangs 3 people, including teen wrestler, in first executions over January protests
Overview
Iran executed three men, including 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, in public hangings in Qom on Thursday, state-linked media and two sources said.
The hangings were the first executions reported in connection with nationwide protests that began in December and peaked on January 8 and 9, state judiciary outlets said.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights, said the men were denied fair trials and that confessions were obtained under torture.
Rights-monitoring groups said the January crackdown killed more than 7,000 people, while Tehran acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths; Iran Human Rights said Iran hanged at least 1,500 people last year.
Iran Human Rights warned of a risk of mass executions 'in the shadow of war,' and Iran's hardline judiciary chief warned there would be 'no leniency' for those convicted.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a human-rights crisis by foregrounding rights groups' allegations, emphasizing the teenage wrestler victim, and highlighting claims of torture and sham trials, while placing Iran's official account later and with less detail. Editorial choices — lead placement, repeated NGO quotes, and emotive descriptors — steer readers toward skepticism of the executions.
FAQ
Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi were accused of killing police officers or a special unit officer during the January 2026 protests in Qom, with Mohammadi charged with stabbing and murder under 'enmity against God' (moharebeh).
Saleh Mohammadi was a 19-year-old national-level wrestler who represented Iran internationally, including winning a bronze medal at the 2024 Saitiev Cup in Russia.
Yes, rights groups reported forced confessions under torture, denial of fair trials, rejected torture claims, lack of access to lawyers, excluded alibi witnesses, and reliance on coerced confessions.
Similar to Navid Afkari, executed in 2018 for alleged murder during protests despite international outcry, Mohammadi's case involves a wrestler targeted post-protests with claims of forced confessions, highlighting a pattern against athletes.
The executions are the first linked to nationwide protests in December 2025-January 2026, peaking on January 8-9, amid a crackdown that killed over 7,000 per rights groups or 3,000 per Tehran, during wartime conditions.
