By Iain Axon
March 20 (Reuters) – Reza Soleimani, a former Iranian water polo player, said he was devastated after learning that 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi had been executed for his alleged role in anti-government protests in Iran.
Iran executed three men on Thursday convicted of killing two police officers during unrest this year, state media reported, saying the sentences had been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Authorities said the three had taken part in attacks using knives and other weapons during protests on January 8, with reports saying Mohammadi was one of the three men executed.
Soleimani, who was in the Iranian water polo team at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul and was deported from South Korea after refusing to return to Iran, told Reuters that Mohammadi’s execution was a very sad moment.
“I’m sure you heard that with my story as well, too. In 1986, this happened to me, when I tried to flee in the Asian Games and (asked for) political asylum in South Korea,” he added.
“They deported me back to Iran and I was in solitary jail for 23 days and I was thinking, ‘I’m going to get executed every day’… I have sympathy for all of them and for the family as well. I’m just speechless.”
United World Wrestling did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The governing body said it was aware that Mohammadi was at risk of a capital sentence and called for a “fair, transparent, and impartial trial”.
The anti-government protests began in Iran in December and triggered a crackdown by authorities which drew international condemnation.
SOLEIMANI THANKS ATHLETES WHO PROTESTED
Soleimani wanted to thank the athletes who participated in the protests.
“We had over 100 athletes got shot on the street… I wish I was in Iran as well, too, that I could stand beside them and do something for them,” he said.
When Soleimani was released from prison in Iran, he fled to Pakistan, then India before settling in Canada, where he is now a member of the pressure group Association of Iranian Athletes for Freedom.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was difficult to comment on situations without being able to verify information.
“At this moment in time, we are particularly concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country – as we are with all athletes who face conflict and tragedies elsewhere in the world,” it said in a statement.
Soleimani said he hoped Iran’s soccer team can compete in this year’s World Cup under the Lion and Sun flag, the symbol of Iran before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The flag is often used to show support for the opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah.
Iran’s presence at the World Cup is in doubt because of the ongoing conflict with the U.S., which is co-hosting the June 11-July 19 global showpiece tournament with Mexico and Canada.
“I’m hoping in 2026 this year, the World Cup that we go with our flags, which is this flag behind me,” Soleimani said. “It’s like a sun, you know … (it) definitely will rise. I’m sure a great day will rise for the Iranian people again.”
(Reporting by Iain Axon and Karolos Grohmann, writing by Aadi Nair and Ed Osmond)
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