Iran executes three men convicted of killing police during 2022 protests
Iranian authorities executed three men by public hanging on Thursday, October 31, 2024, in Kermanshah province. The men were convicted of killing two police officers during the nationwide protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in custody in September 2022.[1][2]
The executed individuals were identified as Saleh Mohammadi, 19, Mehdi Ghasemi, 25, and Saeed Davoudi, 24. Iran's judiciary-linked Mizan news agency confirmed the executions, stating the men had been sentenced to death for "moharebeh," or waging war against God, after a trial.[1][3]
Human rights groups and dissident media described Mohammadi as a promising young wrestler from Kermanshah who had been training with aspirations to compete at a national level.[1][4]
The 2022 protests, known as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, erupted after Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died while in custody of Iran's morality police for an alleged violation of hijab rules. The unrest led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests, with Iran executing at least eight protesters convicted on similar charges.[5]
Several U.S. Olympians expressed condolences over Mohammadi's death. Brandon Slay, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, said he had witnessed the dignity of Iranian wrestlers during competitions in Iran and the U.S.[6]
Katie Uhlaender, a U.S. skeleton athlete who competed in multiple Olympics, called for international action to protect athletes, stating there had been prior warnings about risks to those involved in the protests.[6]
Former Iranian wrestler Sardar Pashaei, who defected from Iran, described the execution as part of broader control over sports by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and urged intervention to save others at risk.[6]
Sources
- Iran International, "Iran Hangs Three Young Men Accused Of Killing Police During Uprising", October 31, 2024, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410310928
- Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), "Three Executed in Kermanshah and Isfahan Prisons", October 31, 2024, https://www.en-hrana.org/three-executed-in-kermanshah-and-isfahan-prisons/
- Mizan Online, Report on executions (Farsi), October 31, 2024, https://www.mizanonline.ir/fa/news/4840403/
- Radio Farda, Coverage of Kermanshah executions, October 31, 2024, https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-executes-three-men-for-killing-security-forces-during-uprising/33186178.html
- Amnesty International, "Iran: Surge in executions of protesters", ongoing reference accessed November 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/01/iran-surge-in-executions-of-protesters/
- Fox News Digital, "Multiple Olympians react to execution of Iranian wrestling star", October 31, 2024 (publication date inferred from context), https://www.foxnews.com/sports/olympians-react-iran-executing-wrestling-star-saleh-mohammadi
