Outrage over Iran’s hanging of young wrestling star draws international condemnation
Trace Gallagher is speaking out about the execution of a 19-year-old wrestling star and two other young men by the Iranian regime, sparking international outrage. Christina Coleman reports on the convictions of Olympic gold medalists Brandon Slay and Tyler Clary. A panel, including Dr Houman Hemmati, Shabnam Jaleh and Eve Barlow, analyzes the regime’s brutal tactics, the internet blackout and citizens’ desire for freedom.
NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
A coalition of athletes, including several Olympians, have signed a letter denouncing Iran’s history and plan to execute star athletes, ahead of the planned execution of Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.
Sani is a boxing champion, trainer and political prisoner who is currently at risk of execution in Iran by the Ayatollah.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
He was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in March 2020 after his participation in nationwide protests in November 2019, initially sparked by a sudden rise in gasoline prices. Iranian justice accused him of “corruption on earth”, which constitutes a crime punishable by death in the country.
The Olympians, headlined by women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova and British swimming gold medalist Sharron Davies, are calling on world government powers and sporting bodies to intervene to stop the execution.
“Currently, 31-year-old boxing champion and trainer Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani remains on death row,” the letter said.
“We call on the United Nations, international sports federations and governments to act immediately to save the lives of Iranian dissidents, including athletes. The world must not stand idly by while Iran silences its champions. We stand with the victims. We stand for justice.”
‘KILL THE COUNTRY’: Iran executes dozens, arrests more than 4,000 in war crackdown
The letter also discusses past incidents of Iranian executions of star athletes in the country, including wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, 19, whose execution sparked a global outcry in March.
“Since mid-March, Iran has witnessed a horrific wave of executions of political dissidents, marking one of the harshest crackdowns in three decades. Dozens of people were executed following unfair trials and forced confessions. The theocratic regime, fearing a new uprising, used the cover of war to suppress growing dissent. Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling champion, and Sasan Azadvar Joonaghan, a 21-year-old karate champion,” the letter said.
“Tragically, Iran has a dark history of executing athletes for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, the captain of the Iranian national soccer team, who was executed for his affiliation with the MEK, and Forouzan Abdi, captain of the Iranian women’s national volleyball team, who was executed alongside 30,000 political prisoners during the 1988 massacre. In 2020, the Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed after participating in peaceful protests in 1988. 2018.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Saleh Mohammadi, an Iranian wrestling champion who was reportedly executed for participating in a protest earlier this year, is shown next to a Tehran billboard depicting supreme leaders Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei and Mojtaba Khamenei, March 10, 2026. (The Foreign Office/AFP via Getty Images)
The letter includes a total of 24 athlete signatories, including nine Olympians and five Iranians.
- Martina Navratilova — Former world No. 1 tennis player (Czech Republic/United States)
- Soolmaz Abooali — 16-time United States champion and three-time world champion in traditional karate (United States)
- Sharron Davies MBE — Swimmer, Olympic medalist (UK)
- Craig Foster AM — Former captain of the Australian national football team (Australia)
- Alberto Frati — Boxer; Former UBO International Super Featherweight Champion (Italy)
- Nikolai Terterian — Boxer; Gold medalist at the European Games (Denmark)
- Eskandar Filabi Muslim — Olympian; Gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games (Iran)
- Tracy Edwards MBE — Boater of the year 1990; Skipper of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (UK)
- Bahram Mavaddat — Former goalkeeper of the Iran national football team (Iran)
- Carilyn Johnson — Ultrarunner; four-time member of Team USA; member of the two-time gold medal-winning and one-time silver medal-winning team at the AIU 24 Hour World Championship (USA)
- Mohamed Ghorbani — Olympian; Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the World Championships and Asian Games (Iran)
- Inga Thompson — Cyclist; Olympian; 10-time U.S. national champion; triple world medalist (United States)
- Monica Aksamit — saber fencer; Olympic bronze medalist; Gold medalist at the Pan American Games (United States)
- Manouchehr Arastupour — Gold medalist at the World Rowing Masters Regatta (Iran)
- Chris Cook — Swimmer; Olympian; double gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games (UK)
- Eli Bremer — Olympian, Modern Pentathlon (United States)
- Ali Ziaei — Former Sanshou National Champion and member of the Canadian National Wushu Team (Canada)
- Vladyslav Heraskevych — Olympian, skeleton runner (Ukraine)
- Shea McAleese — Olympian; Former member of the New Zealand national hockey team; Bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games (New Zealand)
- Asghar Adibi — Former member of the Iran national football team (Iran)
- Elham Asem — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) fighter and referee; World amateur BJJ champion; Gold medalist at the AJP International Championships in Lisbon and Milan (Norway)
- Golpar Parvardeh — Gymnast; Silver medalist at the European TeamGym Championships (Sweden)
- Amin Karimi — Kickboxer; 16 class B fights, 14 victories (Germany)
- James Champ — Former captain of the American international karate team; Two-time Grand National Champion; Double Pan American champion (United States)
