Iran executed Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old member of its national wrestling team, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Dovoudi after accusing them of killing two police officers during protests in Qom on January 8. They were charged with ‘enmity against God’ and alleged ties to Israel and the USA. Such claims are often used against dissidents in the country. According to Human Rights groups, the trials lacked due process, and also involved forced confessions under torture and defence witnesses were also barred.

Mohammadi was a wrestling champion and had taken part in international competitions. According to Amnesty International, he was denied “adequate defence and forced to make ‘confessions’… in fast-tracked proceedings that bore no resemblance to a meaningful trial.”

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He only turned 19 last week. The day before his execution, the authorities executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, accusing him of spying for Israel.

“We are deeply concerned about the risk of mass executions of protesters and political prisoners in the shadow of war,” said Iran Human Rights.

“These executions are carried out to spread fear in the society, as the Islamic Republic knows that the main threat to its survival comes from the Iranian people demanding fundamental change,” it added.

The hangings of the three men are the first officially announced executions related to protests which broke out in the country in late December due to the rising cost of living. But then it turned into nationwide anti-government demonstrations peaking in early January.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 killings, with the vast majority of protesters, while warning the toll could be far higher. Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, including members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, and attributed the violence to “terrorist acts”.