The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a statement regarding reports that Iranian authorities executed 19-year-old freestyle wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.
Mohammadi was reportedly hanged publicly on Thursday along with two other men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, after conviction for killing two police officers during nationwide protests, according to Iran International citing Iran's judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.[1]
Several Olympians spoke out against the reported execution in comments to Fox News Digital, including U.S. gold medalists wrestler Brandon Slay (Sydney 2000), swimmer Tyler Clary (London 2012) and bobsledder Kaillie Humphries (Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Beijing 2022).[1][2][3][4]
In its statement to Fox News Digital, the IOC said: "Sadly, today’s world is divided and full of conflicts and tragedies. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes all around the globe and is concerned every time it learns of individual cases of mistreatment."[1]
The IOC noted challenges in commenting on individual cases amid conflicting information during unrest in a country, adding particular concern for Iranian athletes impacted by events in their homeland, as with athletes facing conflicts elsewhere.[1]
The organization stressed it lacks authority as a non-governmental body to alter laws or political systems of sovereign nations, focusing instead on uniting the world through peaceful sports competition and supporting stakeholders via quiet diplomacy, while remaining in touch with Iran's Olympic community.[1]
Iran is a traditional powerhouse in freestyle wrestling, having secured numerous Olympic medals in the discipline.[5]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has addressed the recent execution of 19-year-old wrestling star Saleh Mohammadi by the Iranian regime", December 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- Wikipedia, "Brandon Slay", accessed December 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Slay
- Wikipedia, "Tyler Clary", accessed December 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Clary
- Wikipedia, "Kaillie Humphries", accessed December 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaillie_Humphries
- Olympics.com, "Wrestling - Iran Olympic medals", accessed December 2024, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-results/iran-islamic-republic-of/wrestling
