Iran has executed three men accused of killing two police officers during January protests, including 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, a member of the country’s wrestling team. Rights groups say the men were sentenced and hanged after confessions obtained under torture and without access to adequate defense or fair trials.
CBS News contributor and Iranian activist Masih Alinejad condemned the executions, arguing the government is deliberately targeting athletes because they are influential role models who can undermine state propaganda. She said when high-profile sports figures join protests or openly reject the regime, it damages the government’s messaging, and officials are retaliating against what she called the nation’s heart.
Alinejad described the hangings as an act of revenge by a weakened regime that fears a mass uprising. She said the executions are meant to intimidate the public and deter further street protests, and warned that international silence would enable authorities to carry out more death sentences. Her team is tracking more than a hundred athletes reportedly imprisoned who may face similar charges and potential executions.
She urged athletes around the world and political leaders, including former president Donald Trump, to speak out, invoking the United for Navid campaign she led after the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari. Alinejad argued that naming victims and applying international pressure can help save lives.
Alinejad also criticized the regime’s use of sport to rehabilitate its image, saying athletes are coerced into staged public displays supporting the state while their families face detention, threats and even sexual violence to force compliance. She pointed to cases of women’s national soccer players who sought asylum abroad but were pressured through threats to relatives and compelled to return to public, pro-regime appearances. She described the emotional toll on athletes forced to appear on state television wearing hijab and praising officials.
Human rights groups and independent observers say these executions are part of a broader crackdown on protesters and political detainees amid internet blackouts and limited independent information about those arrested. International appeals for transparency, fair trials and the release of people jailed for peaceful protest continue, as activists warn of further reprisals against demonstrators and public figures who oppose the government.