US EditionIran hangs 3 people, including teen wrestler, in first executions over January protests
Saleh Mohammadi and two others were executed after trials Amnesty International called unfair; over 7,000 protesters were reportedly killed in January protests, rights groups said.
- On March 19, 2026, the judiciary reported three executions in Qom after convictions for moharebeh, linked to January protests, in front of a group, according to Iran Human Rights.
- Earlier this year, nationwide demonstrations peaked on January 8 and 9, with rights groups recording more than 7,000 killings and Tehran acknowledging over 3,000 deaths.
- Two sources told CBS News that Saleh Mohammadi, a teenage wrestling champion, was denied adequate defense and forced to give 'confessions' in fast-tracked proceedings, Amnesty International said.
- Activists warned the hangings could spark a surge in executions as Iran fights Israel and the United States, with rights groups noting it hanged at least 1,500 people last year.
- Iran Human Rights warned, 'We are deeply concerned about the risk of mass executions of protesters and political prisoners in the shadow of war', and Norway-based NGO monitors said the three were sentenced after unfair trials based on confessions obtained under torture.
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70 Articles
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 too…
Disgusting: Iran Shocks with Public Hanging of Teenage Wrestler... Controversy Over Execution of 3 Protest Participants Forced to Confess through Torture. It is a truly regrettable tragedy. A shocking incident has occurred in Iran where a teenage wrestler was publicly executed for participating in a protest. According to Iranian state media, the BBC reported on the 20th (KST)
Saleh Mohammadi was arrested along with two other people on charges of killing police officers during the January protests.
He was the victim of a brutal, public execution.
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