Global Athlete has called for the suspension of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all Iranian sports organizations by the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations. In its latest statement published on March 19, the Canadian athlete advocacy group condemned the execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.

The statement also highlighted the persecution of Iranian female footballers, who were threatened by the regime after seeking asylum in Australia. Their families faced intimidation, forcing some to return to Iran. Global Athlete further warned that many athletes remain imprisoned and at risk of execution. The organization urged international sports bodies and the IOC not to remain indifferent.

“The International Olympic Committee must immediately implement sanctions to expel Iran from international sport in response to these heinous executions,” the statement said. “The IOC must act swiftly before another innocent athlete loses their life.”

The execution of athletes in Iran’s political doctrine

The arrest and execution of athletes opposing Iran’s political regime are not limited to recent years, when the government has felt its survival threatened more than ever. Since the early 1980s, the regime arrested and executed numerous national and club-level athletes for their affiliation with political groups.

Recent executions, including those of Mohammad Mahdi Karami, Navid Afkari, Saleh Mirhashemi, Kian Hosseini, Mohsen Shekari, and Majid Reza Rahnavard, followed peaceful street protests. All reported that their confessions were obtained under torture, and the charges of involvement in the deaths of Basij or police personnel remain unproven.

Other athletes executed in the 1980s for political opposition include Houshang Montazer-ol-Zahoor, Ahmad Shaterzadeh, Forouzan Abdi, Nazanin Azimi Zadeh, Shahla Shahdoust, Aladdin Atarati Kooshali, Mehdi Zaboli, Ali Shabani, Ebrahim Houshmand, Hamid Khatibi, Hassan Eftekhari, Mohammad Hossein Ghasemi, and Habib Khabiri. Many were members of prominent club teams, and several had previously competed on national teams during the Pahlavi era.