Saleh Mohammadi
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 March 2007 Saveh, Iran |
| Died | 19 March 2026 (aged 19) Qom, Iran |
Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Wrestling |
Saleh Mohammadi (11 March 2007 – 19 March 2026)[1] was an Iranian wrestler and member of the country's national wrestling team.[2][3][4][5][6]
Life and career
Mohammadi was born in Saveh, and grew up in Qom. He began training in freestyle wrestling, before transitioning to Greco-Roman.[1] In September 2024, he represented Iran at the Saitiev Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where he won a bronze medal.[5]
Arrest and execution
Mohammadi was arrested on 15 January 2026 on charges of killing a Special Units police officer in Qom on 8 January, during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. He maintained he was at his uncle's house at the time of the murder, which was apparently corroborated by eyewitnesses and CCTV footage.[1]
After a three-week trial, Mohammadi was sentenced to death by Criminal Court One in Qom for the murder on 4 March.[7][8][9] On 19 March, he was publicly executed by hanging,[10] eight days after his nineteenth birthday.[8]
Reactions
Amnesty International strongly condemned the death sentence and deemed the trial against Mohammadi to be “grossly unfair”, calling it a grave violation of the right to life and a use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression.[11] Mohammadi's execution was condemned in a 19 March 2026 editorial published by The Wall Street Journal's editorial board.[3] U.S President Donald Trump condemned the sentence, stating that Mohammadi was killed for speaking up against the Islamic Republic.[12]
References
- 1 2 3 Younesipour, Payam (27 February 2026). "Saleh Mohammadi: Will the Tragedies of Navid Afkari and Mohammad Mehdi Karami Repeat?". IranWire. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Iran: Children among 30 people at risk of the death penalty amid expedited grossly unfair trials connected to uprising". Amnesty International. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Opinion: The Enemy in Iran in One Lesson". The Wall Street Journal. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "Iran hangs three men in first executions over January protests". France 24. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- 1 2 Abedi, Hooman (19 March 2026). "Wrestler's execution raises fears for detained athletes in Iran". Iran International. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Torbati, Yeganeh (20 March 2026). "Iran Executes 3 Men, Including Teenage Wrestler Saleh Mohammadi". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Iran hangs 3 people, including teen wrestler, in first executions over January protests". CBS News. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Iran: Teenager among first to be executed over anti-government protests". www.bbc.com. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ Motamedi, Maziar. "Iran, US spar as diaspora organizes rallies abroad calling for action". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Three Protesters Publicly Hanged in Iran; Dozens More At Imminent Risk of Execution". Center for Human Rights in Iran. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Iran: Children among 30 people at risk of the death penalty]] amid expedited grossly unfair trials connected to uprising". Amnesty International. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Jackson (26 March 2026). "Trump speaks out on Iran's execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi". Fox News. Retrieved 5 April 2026.