Iran has carried out the execution of three individuals accused of the murder of two police officers during their involvement in protests against the regime. Among those executed were champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, aged 19, who was publicly hanged alongside Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi in Qom city. Mohammadi received a death sentence in February shortly after his arrest, connected to the killing of a security agent during the protests on January 8. Amnesty International reported that Mohammadi refuted the charges, alleging that his confessions were obtained under duress. Despite his claims, the court dismissed them without inquiry. Ghasemi was implicated in the murder, as was Davoudi, who was also accused of killing another policeman on the same day.
The executions, the first officially linked to the protests that commenced the previous year, were confirmed by Mizan Online, the judiciary’s news agency. Mizan stated that the individuals were involved in the deaths of two law enforcement officers and were executed after being convicted of ‘moharebeh,’ defined as ‘waging war against God.’
Iran Human Rights criticized the executions, stating that the trials were unjust and based on coerced confessions. The NGO condemned the deaths as extrajudicial killings aimed at instilling fear to suppress dissent. The organization noted that Mohammadi had recently turned 19, while Davodi is set to celebrate his 22nd birthday soon. The protests initially erupted in Iran due to economic grievances before evolving into widespread anti-government demonstrations on January 8 and 9.
Following the protests, Iranian authorities cracked down harshly, attributing the unrest to foreign interference and labeling it as “terrorist acts.” Tehran acknowledged more than 3,000 fatalities during the turmoil, attributing the violence to terrorism. However, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented over 7,000 deaths, warning that the actual toll might be significantly higher.