The Iranian regime is executing athlete dissidents. Why? And what can be done?
More than 200 athletes have been killed in Iran since January. This is what global sporting bodies must do to pressure the Iranian regime.
On October 14, Iranian mountain climber Ali-Sina Mostafavi was executed, accused of supporting the Israel-US war on Iran and opposing the former monarchy. Athletes and other high-profile Iranians accused of dissent have long been targeted by the Iranian government, with executions being a common punishment. Since the beginning of the year, Iran has executed 691 people, according to Iran Human Rights.
Last year, the total reached 2,159 executions, reported Amnesty International. Over the past year, more than 40 countries have condemned Iran's use of the death penalty, particularly against athletes. Over 200 Iranian athletes have been executed since January 2026, with more than 100 still detained. These politically motivated killings increase during times of public unrest, such as the 2022 "woman, life, freedom" uprising.
There are currently seven athletes detained who face imminent execution, including Taraneh Rahimi, Maryam Hadavand Siri, Ali Pishe Varzadeh, Ehsan Khodadadi, Ehsan Hosseinipour, Benyamin Naghdi, and Mohamad Javad Vafaei Sani. Athletes, particularly wrestlers, hold a "Pahlevan" (noble, cherished hero) status in Iran, but if perceived as a threat, they are subjected to torture, imprisonment, and other forms of persecution.
The regime uses execution to demonstrate that status offers no protection, employing a range of controls against athletes. Sport in Iran was initially promoted as a symbol of national pride, but following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, athletes have become targets for social control. Key Iranian sport clubs and organizations have fallen under the influence of political or security-military personnel, including former members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Major international sports bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have not taken sufficient action against Iran's sports system, despite expressing concerns about the persecution of athletes.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
