The execution of Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi has triggered widespread international condemnation, raising fresh concerns over human rights and the treatment of athletes in Iran.

Mohammadi, who had represented his country on the international stage, was executed on Thursday alongside two other Iranian citizens, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, following a controversial judicial process linked to anti-government protests earlier this year.

Iranian authorities allege that the three men were responsible for the killing of two police officers during demonstrations in the city of Qom on 8 January. According to official accounts, the incident formed part of a coordinated violent response during a period of heightened social tension.

Allegations of Forced Confessions and Unfair Trial

Human rights organisations have strongly disputed the official narrative, describing the trial as deeply flawed.

Groups including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights claim Mohammadi was denied adequate legal defence and forced to confess under coercion. They also allege that the court dismissed claims of torture and ignored the athlete’s retraction of his confession.

Critics argue that the case failed to meet basic standards of due process, citing lack of credible evidence, restricted access to independent legal counsel, and limited avenues for appeal.

Athletes ‘Targeted’ in Crackdown

The execution has intensified fears that athletes are increasingly being targeted in Iran’s broader crackdown on dissent.

Iranian activist and athlete Nima Far described Mohammadi’s death as “a blatant political murder,” alleging it forms part of a pattern aimed at intimidating society and silencing influential public figures.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2020 execution of wrestler Navid Afkari, which also sparked global outrage and highlighted the risks faced by athletes involved in protest movements.

IOC Responds Amid Calls for Action

The International Olympic Committee expressed concern over reports of mistreatment of athletes but emphasised the limits of its authority.

In a statement, the IOC noted that it is “very difficult to comment” on individual cases without verified information and stressed that, as a non-governmental organisation, it cannot influence the laws or political systems of sovereign nations.

The body added that it would continue engaging through “quiet sports diplomacy,” though activists have criticised the approach as insufficient.

Growing International Concern

Mohammadi’s execution reportedly took place just hours after the United States Department of State called for a suspension of the sentence—an appeal that was not heeded.

The incident has reignited debate over the use of capital punishment in Iran, particularly in cases linked to political unrest. Human rights groups warn of a rise in executions following mass arrests during recent protests, with thousands reportedly detained.

Reports also indicate that several athletes across different sports—including football, boxing, athletics and wrestling—remain in detention, further deepening concerns within the global sporting community.

Mohammadi, a bronze medallist at the 2024 Saytiyev Cup in Russia, had maintained his innocence during trial proceedings, stating he was elsewhere at the time of the alleged crime. His defence was ultimately rejected by the court.

His death is now being viewed as more than a legal case—it has become a symbol of the intersection between sport, politics and human rights.

As international pressure mounts, the execution underscores a troubling reality: for some athletes, representing their country on the global stage does not shield them from the consequences of political dissent.

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Chuck Norris, the former martial arts champion and 1980s action-film hero who fought the bad guys in “Code of Silence,” “Missing in Action” and “The Delta Force” and upheld the law in the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” died on Thursday, his family said in a statement on his Instagram account on Friday.

“While we would like to ​keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the statement read.

The six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight ‌Karate Champion, whose tough-guy image inspired satirical “facts” that made him an Internet phenomenon, had been hospitalised in Hawaii on Thursday, Variety reported.

Norris starred in more than two dozen films portraying silent loners, soldiers, lawmen, veterans and All-American heroes who captured criminals, released prisoners of war, rescued hostages and battled terrorists.

With his roundhouse kicks he fought martial arts icon Bruce Lee in Rome’s Colosseum in his 1973 film debut “The Way of ​the Dragon.” Along with actor Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis he helped defeat villain Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 2012 blockbuster “The Expendables 2.”

Time magazine described ​him as “the ultimate tough guy.”

“In his strictly wham-bam B-movie genre, Norris, a former karate champion, has become the undisputed superstar,” it said in ⁠1985.

Norris dodged bullets, landed kicks squarely on an opponent’s jaw and dismissed multiple villains at a time in his action-packed films.

His macho image made him a hit at the ​box office and on the small screen. From 1993 to 2001, he played Sergeant Cordell Walker, an upstanding lawman, former Marine and martial arts expert in “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

The bearded actor, writer ​and producer became an online cult hero in 2005 when an American student created what became Chuck Norris Facts, online jokes about the actor’s physical prowess and masculinity that became a viral sensation and inspired several books.

Among the most popular were “Chuck Norris has a mug of nails instead of coffee in the morning” and “Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups; he pushes the Earth down.”

AN UNLIKELY TOUGH GUY

Carlos Ray Norris was born ​on March 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma, the oldest of three brothers. The family moved to California after his parents divorced.

He was extremely quiet and introverted, which he attributed ​to his father’s alcoholism and the family’s poverty.

“In school I was shy and inhibited,” Norris wrote in his 2004 memoir “Against All Odds: My Story.” “If the teacher asked me to recite something aloud in front ‌of the ⁠class, I would just shake my head no.”

Norris was also not a natural athlete. He had to train remarkably hard to become a martial arts champion, he said. After graduating from school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958. While stationed in South Korea, he learned Tang Soo Do, a form of karate, and other martial arts.

The future film star started teaching martial arts in California after his discharge. He also won major competitions. Actor Steve McQueen, who was one of Norris’ students, encouraged him to try acting.

“He told me ​that I should think about projecting a presence, ​and never do a part that ⁠had a lot of dialogue,” Norris told the New York Times in a 1985 interview.

“He told me, ‘Movies are visual, and when you try to verbalize something, you’re going to lose the audience.’”

Norris’ films grossed millions and made him a popular figure among the U.S. military. He ​visited Iraq in 2006 and 2007 to show his support for American troops.

In 1990, he founded his own martial arts discipline, Chun ​Kuk Do, and established ⁠the nonprofit organization, Kickstart Kids, to teach children martial arts and self-esteem.

A patriot, Conservative and devout Christian, he worked with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and was a contributor to WorldNetDaily, a far-right news and aggregator website.

In addition to his best-selling memoir, Norris published “The Secret of Inner Strength – My Story,” his guide to self-improvement, as well as several books on fitness and martial arts and ⁠two novels – 2006’s “The ​Justice Riders” and its sequel, “A Threat to Justice.”

He was married twice and had five children.

Norris defended his films ​to critics who claimed they promoted violence. If they are well written, he said, action films can tell a story as effectively as any drama or romance.

“It’s how it’s done. I don’t advocate violence for violence’s sake,” ​he told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “What people hang on to is that the good guy wins in the end.”

-ReutersTop of Form

Chuck Norris starred in “Walker, Texas Ranger” from 1993 to 2001. Courtesy CBS 

-Reuters

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Nigeria’s football community was plunged into mourning on Saturday following the death of former Green Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu, one of the heroes of the country’s historic 1980 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

Nwosu reportedly died in a Lagos hospital in the early hours of Saturday, bringing to an end the life of one of Nigeria’s most gifted midfielders and a revered figure in the nation’s football history.

Widely regarded as one of the finest left-sided midfielders of his era, Nwosu rose to prominence as the youngest member of the Green Eagles squad that won Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 at the age of 17. He later featured prominently in the teams that reached the AFCON finals in 1984 and 1988.

Reacting to the news, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi described the death as a painful loss for Nigerian football, coming only days after the passing of former NFF Technical Director and two-time Super Eagles coach Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.

“This is another very sad news, even as we are still mourning the demise of Chief Onigbinde,” Sanusi said. Nigeria football can never forget the enormous contributions of Henry Nwosu both as a player and a coach. We pray that God will grant him eternal rest, and also grant the family he has left behind, as well as friends and relations, the fortitude to bear the loss.”

One of Nwosu’s most memorable moments came on April 25, 1981, when the then 18-year-old scored a spectacular long-range goal against Guinea in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match. The strike, fired from the edge of the penalty area late in the game, secured Nigeria’s progression to the final round of the qualifiers against Algeria.

Beyond the famous 1980 AFCON triumph on home soil, Nwosu was instrumental in Nigeria’s journeys to the championship matches of the 1984 and 1988 tournaments. In both finals, Nigeria faced Cameroon—losing 3–1 in Abidjan in 1984 and suffering a narrow and controversial defeat in Casablanca four years later, when a first-half header by Nwosu was ruled out by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr.

His passing means nine members of the historic 1980 AFCON-winning squad have now died, including goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Tunde Bamidele, Okey Isima and Christian Chukwu, midfielders Mudashiru Lawal and Aloysius Atuegbu, and forward Martins Eyo.

At club level, Nwosu dazzled fans with his creativity, dribbling skills and vision while playing for New Nigerian Bank FC of Benin and ACB FC of Lagos, before later continuing his career in Côte d’Ivoire.

After hanging up his boots, he remained involved in the sport, working as a coach with several domestic clubs and contributing to the development of younger players.

His death marks the passing of another member of the golden generation that laid the foundation for Nigeria’s continental success in football.

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