Iran has executed yet another athlete for anti-regime political activism. On Thursday (January 28), prominent boxer and coach Ali Mutairi was executed in Sheiban prison, bringing the tally to three in just the last four months alone. The sentence was carried out amid allegations that Mutairi was severely tortured and forced to confess killing two government-backed Basij militia members in 2018.
The 30-year-old boxer was charged with moharebeh meaning war against god and corruption on Earth . That apart, Mutairi was also accused of being an ISIS member but his connection to the terrorist organization was never verified. The execution has been condemned by human rights activists and the United Nations.