Activists urge Olympics, World Cup ban after Iran executes athletes

Activists Demand Iran’s Expulsion From Olympics and World Cup After Regime Kills Athletes

Prominent human rights activists and former Iranian sports officials are urging FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, and global sports federations to ban Iran from international competitions following the regime’s execution of thousands of protesters, including dozens of athletes.

Reports emerged Friday that Iranian security forces killed 15-year-old wrestler Parsa Lorestani, shot by a government sniper in the western city of Khorramabad during protests on January 8, according to the London-based Iran International. Sardar Pashaei, the former head coach of Iran’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team who now lives in the United States, announced on X that another young wrestler, 20-year-old champion Erfan Kari, was also killed by the regime.wfmd

“Another wrestler murdered. Erfan Kari was 20. A champion,” Pashaei wrote. “He could have been an Olympian. Instead, the Islamic regime shot him for protesting.”aljazeera

Calls for International Sports Bodies to Act

Dissident journalist Masih Alinejad posted Friday to her nearly 800,000 X followers demanding immediate action. “The Islamic Republic has slaughtered over 40,000 protesters, thousands of them athletes, children, teenagers, young people, women, men, and from various sports disciplines,” Alinejad wrote. She called on FIFA, the IOC, and all global sports organizations to “boycott the Islamic Republic from all international sporting competitions.”wfmd

Pashaei told Fox News Digital that in less than 10 days, the Iranian regime shot dead more than 30 athletes across the country, including youth competitors, national champions, coaches, and international referees. The youngest victim was just 15 years old.wccsradio

The campaign comes as 19-year-old freestyle wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi faces imminent execution after being arrested on January 15. The U.S. State Department issued a public demand last week for Iran to halt the execution, stating Tehran “is killing its youth and destroying the future of the country.”iranintl

A Pattern of Athlete Persecution

Iran has a history of targeting athletes who voice dissent. The regime executed champion Greco-Roman wrestler Navid Afkari in September 2020 after he participated in protests against corruption. Olympic wrestler Alireza Nejati, a 27-year-old world medalist, was arrested and reportedly tortured in January after posting support for the protests on Instagram to his 78,000 followers.x

Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, the first American woman to win a world championship wrestling medal in 1989, said the situation makes her sick. “We can no longer turn a blind eye to this brutality,” she told Fox News Digital.aljazeera

The IOC responded to questions about Iran’s participation by pointing to a January 29 statement pledging to “continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sport diplomacy.”wfmd

Critics Warn Against Blanket Bans

Not all critics of Tehran’s regime support expelling Iran from competitions. British-Iranian analyst Potkin Azarmehr argued that allowing Iran’s team to compete creates opportunities for athlete defections and spectator protests that reach millions of viewers inside Iran.aljazeera

“The ban would just be a blanket victimization of other wrestlers who have trained long hours for this,” Azarmehr said. Dan Russell, executive director of the Wrestling for Peace organization, acknowledged the complexity but urged solidarity: “Neutrality cannot mean indifference when lives are at stake.”wfmd