Iran May Be Sending Message With Execution of Athletes

Iran's sports community is bracing for more executions after a celebrated mountaineer was put to death this month. Ali-Sina Mostafavi, who had scaled Everest, was hanged on Oct. 14 after Iran's supreme court upheld charges that he was an "armed agent of the American-Zionist enemy" and took part in anti-government protests, reports the Guardian. Human rights groups say he was beaten in prison and forced into a confession, per Iran International.

At least six more prominent athletes face execution, according to Human Rights for Sport, an Oslo-based group of former Iranian athletes. The six are swimmer Ali Pishevarzadeh, soccer player Ehsan Hosseinpour, boxer Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, MMA fighter Benyamin Naghdi, equestrian athlete Taraneh Rahimi, and climber Maryam Siri. Two other athletes were reportedly executed in early October. The rights group says athletes are being singled out to send a political message, while it accuses soccer's FIFA and the International Olympic Committee of taking limited action to protect them.