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The execution of Iranian wrestling star Saleh Mohammadi left the sports world in mourning on Thursday.
Iran’s regime executed the 19-year-old man on Thursday. Mohammadi was reportedly killed in a public hanging, according to Iranian-American human rights activists and dissidents.
Iran International reported that Iran’s regime hanged Mohammadi and two other Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, “after being accused of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year,” the judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency reported.
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Several Olympians have shared their reactions to the execution with Pakinomist Digital.
Brandon Slay, Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler
Brandon Slay of the United States during the semifinals of the Men’s 76 kg Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Exhibition Halls on Day 14 of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. (Ross Kinnaird / Allsport)
“As someone who has traveled to Iran to wrestle twice and welcomed Iranian athletes to our country, I have seen the dignity and heart of the Iranian people. That is why it is so heartbreaking to see a terrorist regime execute a teenage wrestler,” Slay told Pakinomist Digital.
“My prayers are with Saleh Mohammadi’s family and all who suffer. In the face of such oppression, I hold on to the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only light that overcomes the darkness and the only truth that proclaims justice and mercy will one day prevail.”
Tyler Clary, American gold medalist swimmer at London 2012
American swimmer Tyler Clary celebrates winning gold in the men’s 200m backstroke at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 2, 2012 in London. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP)
“As an Olympic gold medalist, I’ve spent my life around athletes who represent the very best of human discipline and freedom. What we’re seeing in Iran — the execution of a wrestler after what appears to be a sham trial — is a brutal reminder of what that regime stands for. That’s exactly why strong leadership matters,” Clary told Pakinomist Digital.
“President Trump has been clear about the nature of this regime and the need to stand up to it, and moments like this prove why that approach is necessary.”
Eli Bremer, American modern pentathlon at Beijing 2008
Eli Bremer of the United States celebrates during the Men’s Modern Pentathlon Fencing Epee One Touch held at the Fencing Hall during Day 13 of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 21, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)
“I am beyond disgusted by the actions of the Iranian regime today. Murdering a teenage iconic athlete shows how deeply depraved the Iranian leadership is. President Trump has and continues to do the right thing to ensure that this regime is destroyed. A regime that is willing to murder a teenage athlete is a given regime if it is given to Fox to murder the US News,” says Bremmer.
“I will continue to support President Trump in taking the lead to disarm Iran and ensure that the monsters that rule the country are never again able to commit these atrocities against their citizens, Americans or our allies.”
Katie Uhlaender, American skeleton athlete, six-time Olympian
Katie Uhlaender of Team United States poses for a portrait during the Team USA Beijing 2022 Olympic shoot in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2021. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Team USA)
“My heart breaks for this athlete and his family. What makes this more devastating is that there were clear, urgent calls for action,” Uhlaender told Pakinomist Digital.
“These athletes did nothing wrong. They represented their sport and their country, and instead of being protected, they were left exposed to a system that failed to act when it mattered most…
“The United States is in a unique position to lead on this issue. Through sports diplomacy and international engagement, we have the ability to set a higher standard—one where sports safety is non-negotiable, where warnings are heeded, and where governing bodies are held accountable for their failure to protect. Sports can serve as a symbol of integrity and unity. Action, not silence, must define our response.”
STATE DEPARTMENT DEMANDS IRAN HALT EXECUTION OF 19-YEAR-OLD WRESTLING STAR
AJ Edelman, Israeli bobsleigh and skeleton athlete, two-time Olympian
Israel’s Adam Edelman takes off his helmet after a training session for the men’s skeleton during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, at the Olympic Sliding Center on February 14, 2018. (OHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“He was hanged for envisioning an Iran free of a regime now led by an impotent Nepo baby whose father thought he was so incompetent he couldn’t run a lemonade stand. His sacrifice is proof that such a cause was just,” Edelman told Pakinomist Digital.
Sardar Pashaei, Iranian youth world champion wrestler (non-Olympic)
“This is just a glimpse of the regime’s brutality. A regime that kills its own people and now publicly executes a teenage athlete… For almost 50 years, some politicians have tried to moderate this regime. They still don’t understand it. We do. We’ve lived under it. We carry its scars,” Pashaei told Pakinomist Digital.
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“Iranian sport is no longer in the hands of athletes. It is controlled by the Revolutionary Guards – the same forces that oppress women, intimidate athletes abroad and threaten their families. Others are still in danger – and there is still time to save them. The world must act now. Saleh’s only ‘crime’ was a street demonstration where he went to a future where freedom went to protest. Does not exist and where people are not held hostage by their own government.”
