A Wave Of Executions Is Feared In Iran After 3 Young Men Are Hanged

BEIRUT — A 19-year-old prima wrestler and 2 different young men were hanged successful Iran past week, raising siren among authorities groups that a activity of executions whitethorn beryllium underway arsenic authorities facing relentless attacks from nan U.S. and Israel activity to squelch nationalist dissent.

The 3 men are nan first to beryllium executed from among nan tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown connected nationwide protests. Rights groups opportunity much than 100 others could look decease sentences.

The wrestler, Saleh Mohammadi, was hanged early Thursday greeting — on pinch Mehdi Qasemi and Saeed Davoudi — successful Qom, conscionable southbound of Tehran, according to authorities media. They had been sentenced connected charges of “moharabeh,” or “waging warfare against God,” for allegedly sidesplitting 2 constabulary officers during protests successful nan city.

Amnesty International said nan convictions of nan three, and of others arrested during nan protests, came successful “grossly unfair trials” that utilized confessions extracted by torture.

The executions were “intended to instill fearfulness successful nine and deter caller protests” amid nan U.S.-Israeli warfare connected Iran, said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, head of Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based group that has documented detentions.

Amiry-Moghaddam said he worries galore much “executions of protesters and governmental prisoners whitethorn beryllium imminent.”

Death sentences

Amiry-Moghaddam said his group has documented astatine slightest 27 decease sentences that person been issued against group arrested during nan protests. An further 100 look charges that transportation nan decease penalty, and Iranian authorities media person aired hundreds of forced confessions to crimes punishable by death, he said.

Nationwide protests that began successful precocious December peaked successful nan first week of January, prompting nan deadliest crackdown by Iranian information forces since nan Islamic Republic took powerfulness successful 1979.

A complete decease toll has been difficult to gauge because of net restrictions by authorities. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists New Agency, which relies connected a web of contacts wrong Iran, said it confirmed that much than 7,000 were killed and that it was investigating thousands more. It said complete 50,000 were arrested successful conscionable complete six weeks. The authorities acknowledged much than 3,000 were killed.

At nan tallness of nan protests, Iranian authorities signaled that accelerated tests and executions laic ahead.

At nan time, President Trump suggested subject action mightiness beryllium an action to extremity nan deadly crackdown. But he soon announced that he learned that plans for executions were halted, signaling that a subject cognition was nary longer connected nan table.

Just a period later, Israel and nan U.S. launched an aggravated airstrike run against Iran, pounding subject installations and sidesplitting nan apical governmental and information activity of Iran. The information agencies believed to beryllium responsible for nan crackdown connected protesters are besides being targeted.

Crackdown connected dissent continues

Despite nan war, Iranian authorities person kept up nan crackdown connected dissent. Authorities opportunity scores person been detained since nan warfare began connected Feb. 28, including immoderate who took portion successful nan January protests.

Because of Iran’s net blackout, location person been scant specifications astir nan 3 men executed Thursday. Amiry-Moghaddam said Davoudi was calved connected March 20, 2004, meaning he was executed a time earlier his 22nd birthday. Qasemi’s property was not known, he said.

Mohammadi appeared to beryllium a standout successful wrestling, a athletics that is wildly celebrated successful Iran. In 2024, he won a bronze badge astatine an world younker freestyle wrestling tourney successful nan Russian metropolis of Krasnoyarsk.

On his Instagram account, Mohammadi posted photos and videos of his matches and his workouts, on pinch inspirational “no-pain, no-gain” messages. In his past station successful precocious December, he posted a video of himself successful nan gym and wrote: “We endured beyond our imagination. Back again #bodybuilding #training #wrestling.”

“He was afloat of energy,” said Shiva Amelirad, an Iranian coach surviving successful Toronto who said pinch Mohammadi successful 2022 while he was successful precocious school.

Amelirad said Mohammadi had participated successful antigovernment protests that erupted earlier that twelvemonth erstwhile Mahsa Amini died successful constabulary custody aft being detained for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly. Those demonstrations were besides met pinch a dense crackdown by authorities.

She said Mohammadi told her that workouts and eating crystal pick were his only ways “to hide each this catastrophe that we are facing.”

“He ever tried to show that he was happy,” said Amelirad.

Forced confessions reported

Mohammadi, Qasemi and Davoudi were arrested successful Qom connected Jan. 15, according to aggregate quality authorities groups. The circumstances of their arrests are not known, and it is not clear whether they knew 1 different beforehand.

They were charged successful nan sidesplitting of a constabulary serviceman connected Jan. 8 and convicted successful early February, according to Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights.

During his detention, Mohammadi was beaten and 1 of his hands broken, Amnesty said successful a Feb. 19 unfastened missive to Iran’s judiciary criticizing nan prosecution of dozens of arrested protesters. The group said Mohammadi denied nan charges and retracted his confessions successful court, saying they were extracted nether torture.

“Authorities person systematically subjected those arrested successful relationship to nan protests to enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture to extract forced ‘confessions,’” Amnesty said successful nan letter.

Mizan, nan Iranian judiciary’s charismatic news agency, announced nan execution of nan 3 Thursday, showing video of them sitting successful situation uniforms successful court. It said they had confessed to sidesplitting 2 constabulary officers pinch “knives and swords,” and showed video of them allegedly reenacting nan killings for judicial officials.

Amiry-Moghaddam, of Iran Human Rights, said nan Islamic Republic is struggling for its endurance “and is good alert that nan main threat to its beingness comes not from outer actors, but from nan Iranian group demanding basal change.”

Keath, Frankel and Deeb constitute for nan Associated Press and reported from Cairo, Jerusalem and Beirut, respectively.