Fifty-one prominent figures in international karate, including world champions, leading coaches and WKF referees, have signed a letter calling for the suspension of the Karate Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The signatories are also urging the creation of protective mechanisms that would allow Iranian athletes to compete in international events under the flag of the World Karate Federation or the International Olympic Committee.
The letter, addressed to the WKF, the IOC and Athlete 365, includes several well-known names in the sport. Among them are Hamideh Abbasali, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; Hamoon Derafshipour, a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Tokyo; Rohollah Esfandiari; Sammaneh Khoshghadam; Mahmoud Karkabadi; Ali Azizi; Hamed Ziksari and Esmaeil Torkzad.
Speaking to Sportsin by phone, one of the signatories, Reza Azizi, gold medallist at the 2004 World University Karate Championships, explained his reasons for supporting the initiative.
“A massacre in the true sense of the word took place in Iran between 8 and 12 January,” Azizi alleged. “Tens of thousands of people were shot and killed. Among the victims were athletes, including karate practitioners. The perpetrator of this violence is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the same organisation that has influence throughout Iranian sport, including the National Olympic Committee and the Karate Federation. It is impossible to remain indifferent to what is happening.”
Shahram Heravi, Bassij member and IKF head coach
Azizi questions IOC neutrality
“The IOC claims to act in a neutral manner, but this neutrality works in favour of the IRGC,” he said. “Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa is a member of the IRGC and at the same time serves as president of Iran’s National Olympic Committee. He was present at the 145th IOC Session in Milan in support of Soraya Aghaei’s candidacy for IOC membership. The IRGC is responsible for the killing of Iranian athletes.”
He further claimed that similar concerns exist within the World Karate Federation.
“The situation within the World Karate Federation reflects the same concerns,” Azizi said. “Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Karate Federation was headed by Habib Nazarian, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. After his departure, control of the federation has remained in the hands of individuals linked to the IRGC or intelligence bodies affiliated with the regime.
“Iranian karate athletes have repeatedly been barred from competing against Israeli opponents. The WKF is fully aware of this issue, yet it has taken no meaningful action.”
According to the letter, Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Saleh Mirhashemi were executed by the Islamic Republic during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. The signatories state that the World Karate Federation made no attempt to intervene or seek to prevent their executions.
The letter also alleges that, during what it describes as a January 2026 crackdown, four karate athletes, Hassan Ghasemi, Amirsalar Ghasemi, Mehdi Ebdali and Magna Dokoushkani, were among those killed. It adds that several other karate practitioners are believed to be among those detained.
The WKF, the IOC and Iranian sporting authorities have not yet publicly responded to the allegations contained in the letter.
