Iran hangs teen athlete as mass execution warning issued | World | News
Salih Muhammedi was only 19 years old when he was hanged (Image: AP)
Iran executed three people for their role in the nationwide uprising in January; human rights groups reportedly fear it is the first step towards mass executions of thousands of people still detained in the wake of the protests.
The judiciary confirmed the hanging of Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi and Saeed Davvodi, who were found guilty of killing two police officers during demonstrations in the holy city of Qom, making them the first protesters to be executed in the January uprising.
The revolt had its roots in economic desperation before evolving into a direct challenge to religious rule. The regime’s response was brutal: The Iran International Broadcasting Board concluded, based on documents it reviewed, that security forces killed more than 36,500 people in what it described as the bloodiest two-day crackdown on protesters in recorded history.
Tens of thousands more people were detained; The Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization recorded nearly 40,000 arrests, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency tracked the number of detentions at more than 53,000.
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‘Extrajudicial executions’
IHRNGO director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam told ITV News: “The protesters executed today were sentenced to death following grossly unfair trials, based on confessions extracted under torture and duress. “We consider these executions to be extrajudicial killings carried out with the aim of creating terror to suppress political dissent.
“The Islamic Republic is fighting for its survival and knows that the greatest threat to its existence comes from the Iranian people who demand fundamental change.”
He added: “We face a very real and imminent risk of mass executions of protesters. The international community must act urgently. The European Union in particular has an important role to play and must use all available diplomatic tools to help prevent further executions and protect the lives of those at risk.”
race against time
Iran cut off internet access when the war began on February 28, making it extremely difficult to independently verify conditions in the prison system. Before the blackout collapsed, IHRNGO had approved the death penalty for at least 27 demonstrators. Uncorroborated testimonies from within the country greatly increase the number of those facing the death penalty; Hundreds are still awaiting trial on charges that carry the death penalty.
The regime has a well-documented record of securing convictions through coerced confessions, and defendants are routinely denied meaningful access to legal representation, ITV reported.
Three protesters became the first people to be hanged for protests in December 2025 and January 2026 (Image: @IHRights/X)
historical pattern
Tuesday’s executions reflect a wave of state killings that followed protests in 2022 sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by morality police for allegedly violating the country’s dress code, triggering the longest challenge to religious rule in a generation.
Earlier this year, Trump warned Iran of the consequences if the regime began executing protesters. The threat took an academic turn on February 28, when the US and Israel launched the first attack; Tehran struck what Washington described as its nuclear weapons infrastructure, a move Tehran insists was not provoked.
The conflict has since spread to a wider region; Iranian forces are striking Gulf countries aligned with the American-led coalition and closing the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
