Who Was Saleh Mohammadi? The 19-Year-Old Champion Wrestler Who Was Publicly Executed in Iran

Saleh Mohammadi was a 19-year-old champion wrestler, but his bright future was cut short after the Iranian regime publicly executed him along with two others on Thursday, 19 March, without a fair trial over his participation in January's massive protest against the regime.

The young athlete was convicted of police killing during the protest. Reports indicate that the champion wrestler was coerced and tortured to confess.

The execution, which took place in the early hours of Thursday morning in the city of Qom, has sent shockwaves through both the international sporting world and human rights communities.

Mohammadi, who celebrated his 19th birthday behind bars only a week before his death, was hanged alongside fellow protesters Saeed Davoudi and Mehdi Ghasemi.

Who was Saleh Mohammadi?

Born in March 2007 in Saveh before moving to Qom, Mohammadi was a rising star in Iran's elite wrestling circles. He began his journey in freestyle wrestling as a child and quickly ascended to the national stage.

By 2023, he had earned a spot on the Iranian Cadet National Team, finishing third in the national championships for the 71kg category.

His career reached a peak in September 2024 when he secured a bronze medal at the Buvaisar Saitiev International Tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Beyond his medals, Mohammadi was a symbol of hope for young Iranian athletes.

His transition from the podium to the gallows has drawn immediate and painful comparisons to the 2020 execution of Navid Afkari, another wrestler whose death became a global rallying cry against judicial overreach in Iran.

Allegations of Torture and 'Sham' Trials

The Iranian judiciary claimed that Mohammadi was responsible for the death of a police officer, Mohammad Ghasemi Hamapour, during the nationwide unrest in January 2026. He was charged with moharebeh, a term translating to 'enmity against God' that carries a mandatory death sentence.

However, legal monitors and human rights groups have denounced the proceedings as a 'sham.' According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), Mohammadi was denied access to an independent lawyer and was subjected to severe physical abuse.

Reports from Amnesty International suggest he suffered fractured hands during his detention, a detail the court reportedly ignored.

Furthermore, activists point to a lack of physical evidence. CCTV footage from the alleged crime scene did not identify Mohammadi, and the court reportedly refused to hear testimony from his family and coaches who stated he was at home during the incident.

Meanwhile, the Iran Human Rights NGO group warned that the executions seen in recent days may only be the start. 'We are deeply concerned about the risk of mass executions of protesters and political prisoners in the shadow of war,' the group said in a statement.

International Outcry and the 'Shadow of War'

The execution of these three young men represents a sharp escalation in the regime's crackdown following the January protests. Human rights organisations have warned that the Iranian authorities are using the distraction of broader regional instability to fast-track the executions of political detainees.

As reported by Iran International, there are grave concerns that Mohammadi's hanging marks the beginning of a wider wave of executions intended to terrorise the population into submission. Dozens of other protesters, including several young athletes and students, remain on death row facing similar charges.

The global sporting community is now facing renewed pressure to act. Human rights advocates are calling on international wrestling and Olympic bodies to impose strict sanctions on Iran, arguing that the execution of a national champion for political dissent is a clear violation of the fundamental values of international sport.