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Open Free AccountIn a shocking and brutal turn of events, Iran has executed Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old champion wrestler, along with Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi. The three men were accused of participating in the killings of two police officers during the anti-regime protests that erupted across the country in late December 2022.
The executions took place in the city of Qom on Thursday, March 19, 2026, after a public hanging. Mohammadi, who was sentenced to death in February, was accused of murdering a security agent on January 8, the peak of the anti-government demonstrations. He had denied the charges, claiming his confessions had been obtained under torture. However, the court dismissed these claims without any investigation into the matter.
Background of the Executions
These executions are the first official deaths linked to the ongoing protests against the Iranian regime. According to Mizan Online, the judiciary’s official news agency, the three individuals were found guilty of ‘moharebeh’ (waging war against God), a charge commonly used to suppress political dissent in Iran.
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Publish NowHuman rights organizations, such as Iran Human Rights, have condemned the executions, calling them “extrajudicial killings” carried out under “grossly unfair trials”, and stated that the confessions made by the accused were extracted through torture and coercion.
The Aftermath of the Protests
The executions come amid an ongoing and violent crackdown on the protests that began in December 2022. What initially began as demonstrations over rising living costs quickly morphed into broader anti-government protests. The Iranian government accused foreign powers of inciting the unrest, labeling the protests as “riots.”
During this period, authorities acknowledged over 3,000 deaths among protestors, with Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reporting more than 7,000 deaths, including over 220 children. The situation has raised alarm worldwide about the human rights abuses taking place in the country, with Iranian security forces accused of torture, murder, and sexual violence.
A Dark Time for Iran
The death toll from the protests continues to rise, with estimates suggesting that as many as 30,000 people may have been killed during the regime’s crackdown. This marks a grim peak in the regime’s violent efforts to quell dissent, under the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled for 36 years before his death.
Protestors arrested in the aftermath of the violence have claimed severe abuse in custody, with reports of forced nudity, exposure to harsh conditions, and torture. Samira Parvareshkhah, a woman arrested during the protests, died shortly after her release from prison, reportedly from extensive bruising and mysterious health complications.
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Ongoing Struggle for Freedom
The executions of Mohammadi, Ghasemi, and Davoudi serve as a reminder of the high stakes for those continuing the fight for justice and freedom in Iran. The country’s “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests continue to spark global outrage, with many condemning the regime’s methods of control.
As the Iranian government intensifies its repression of protestors, the international community remains focused on the country’s human rights violations and the rising number of extrajudicial killings. The fight for freedom in Iran is far from over.
