Iran’s execution of 19 year old Olympic wrestler Saleh Mohammadi on March 19, 2026, is part of a systematic campaign of lethal repression, not an isolated judicial decision. Mohammadi, who represented Iran internationally, was convicted after a brief trial and publicly hanged alongside two others accused of involvement in January protests. Observers report the trials lacked due process, relied on coerced confessions, and ignored evidence supporting his innocence.
In 2024, there were at least 972 executions, nearly 66% of all executions worldwide. In the first five months of 2025, there were 478 executions, a 75% increase over the same period the previous year. Many sentences are imposed under vaguely defined national security charges such as moharebeh, (waging war against God), or corruption on earth, (spreading chaos or rebellion). These charges are applied without clear evidence or fair trial procedures. By comparison, the U.S. carried out 18 executions in 2024 despite having a population roughly 25 times larger than Iran and a robust judicial system with safeguards, appeals, and public trials. On a per capita basis, Iran executes roughly 11 people per million, while the U.S. executes 0.05 per million.
The human toll of Iran’s broader crackdown on dissent extends far beyond capital punishment. During the nationwide 2025 to 26 protests, estimates of those killed vary due to communication blackouts, but independent analysts and foreign media suggest that up to 32,000 civilians were killed. Official government figures cite over 3,000, while verified independent tallies indicate several thousand confirmed deaths, with many more unreported. This makes it one of the deadliest protest crackdowns in modern history.
Since the late 2022 protests, over 1,400 executions have been carried out as the judiciary uses capital punishment to intimidate society. UN reports show 901 people were executed in 2024, including women and ethnic minorities who are disproportionately affected. Revolutionary Courts routinely deny defendants access to counsel, hold secret, brief trials, and accept confessions obtained under duress. These practices violate Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial and prohibits arbitrary executions. Public executions and widespread internal reporting serve as psychological warfare, signaling to students, athletes, activists, and ordinary citizens that dissent can be met with death.
The execution of Saleh Mohammadi, along with the mass killings of protesters, shows that Iran’s leadership consistently disregards human life. A government willing to execute its own citizens arbitrarily raises serious concerns about how it may exercise power more broadly. Critics argue that this pattern of behavior is further evidence that the regime cannot be trusted with nuclear capabilities.
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