Iran Executes Karate Champion

Mark Jacobs 2023.01.11 2 min read

Iran executed two men by hanging on Saturday, one of whom was reportedly a nationally ranked karate champion, for their part in the protests that have been rocking the nation for months. Mohammad Mehdi Karami, along with Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, had been convicted, in what’s been widely criticized as a sham trial, for the killing of a member of the Basij paramilitary force.

This brings to four the number of Iranians executed by the government since the September death of a 22-year-old woman while she was in the custody of the country’s morality police sparked nationwide unrest. It’s been reported 41 more protesters have also been given death sentences.

Karami’s family said he began karate training at the age of 11, had been a member of the national youth karate team and was ranked as high as number four in Iran. Iranian women’s national karate team captain Hamideh Abbasali took to social media to protest the executions saying, “Injustice will not last forever.”

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