[45385] Iran executes Sasan Azadvar, a young athlete arrested in the January 2026 protests

Iran executes karate athlete Sasan Azadvar

Authorities in Iran executed 21-year-old karate athlete Sasan Azadvar from Isfahan on Thursday, April 30, 2026, according to news channels Vahid Online and Iran International. Azadvar was arrested during the national protests that broke out in Iran in January 2026 and had been held since then at Dastgerd Prison in his home city.

According to a report by Iran International, a media outlet affiliated with the Iranian opposition in exile, the Islamic Republic's judiciary attributed a series of serious charges to Azadvar, including "effective cooperation with the enemy," "destruction of security forces' property," and "incitement to war and killing with the intent of undermining state security."

Conversely, Vahid Online, which aggregates reports from social networks and local channels, notes that on the day of Azadvar's execution, the head of the Iranian judiciary declared that the regime "does not listen to global requests to stop the implementation of death sentences."

Azadvar's execution is part of a broad wave of violent suppression against those arrested in the country's recent protests. Human rights organizations warn that the Iranian regime continues to use the death penalty as a tool to deter protesters and silence public opposition, while completely ignoring international condemnations.