U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the Iranian authorities' reported execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi during an interview on Fox News' "The Five" on Thursday.[1]
"About two weeks ago, they put out a notice that if you protest, we will shoot you. They kill them. Look what they did to the wrestler. They killed him for, for speaking up. He was a star wrestler, a great wrestler, actually," Trump said.[1]
Trump described Mohammadi as "one of the best" Iranian wrestlers, adding that he was killed for speaking against the regime.[1]
Iran International reported that Iranian judicial authorities hanged Mohammadi along with Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi earlier this month, after accusing them of killing two police officers during nationwide protests this year. The report cited Iran's judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.[2][3]
Mohammadi had told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that his dream was to become an Olympic champion. Iran is a dominant force in international wrestling, with 48 Olympic medals in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling as of the 2024 Paris Games.[4][5]
The International Olympic Committee expressed concern over the situation of Iranian athletes amid unrest but noted it could not verify conflicting reports and lacks authority over sovereign nations' decisions.[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "President Donald Trump on Thursday addressed the Iranian regime's execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi", accessed December 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- Iran International, "Iran Hangs Three Over Police Killings in Protests", December 2024, https://www.iranintl.com/en
- Mizan Online, "Judiciary report on executions", December 2024, https://www.mizanonline.ir/en
- United World Wrestling, "Iran wrestling achievements", accessed December 2024, https://uww.org
- Wikipedia, "Iran at the Olympics - Wrestling", accessed December 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_at_the_Olympics
