The International Olympic Council (IOC) has expressed its sadness at the public hanging of Iranian wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi one week after his 19th birthday while the international media also raised pertinent questions over his executive and Olympic sports followers were in shock.
Amnesty International also condemned the death sentence carried out on Mohammadi calling it “grossly unfair” while referring to the death penalty as a tool for political repression.
According to international reports a court in Iran found Mohammadi and two others guilty of killing a policeman during January’s anti-government protests.
But Mohammadi maintained his innocence saying he was at his uncle’s residence at the time of the incident. The international media also reported that eyewitnesses confirmed that the wrestler was not at the scene of the murder of the police officer.
“Sadly, today’s world is divided and full of conflicts and tragedies. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes all around the globe and is concerned every time it learns of individual cases of mistreatment.
“At this moment in time, we are particularly concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country, as we are with all athletes who face conflict and tragedies elsewhere in the world,” the IOC said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Mohammadi’s execution came days after the Iran’s women’s football team refused to sing their country’s national anthem at the Asian Championship in Australia after which seven players sought asylum refusing to return to their country.
Some of them changed their minds and returned to Iran over fears of endangering the lives on family members at home.
An epitaph of the executed teenage wrestler published on the internet read as: Saleh Mohammadi-Born March 11, 2007, Died March 19, 2026, Cause of Death-Execution by hanging.
Mohammadi had represented Iran at international meets and was a Bronze medallist.
The Wall Street Journal in New York renowned for high quality journalism had also condemned the execution of Mohammadi in its editorial.
Before the war, US President Donald Trump had warned Iran against executing protesters, later saying he had received assurances that Tehran had no plans to do so.