Summary

In January 2026, Islamic Republic of Iran security forces killed at least 36,000 protesters, blinded thousands more, and murdered dozens of athletes. The Islamic Republic must not be allowed to use the Olympic Games as a platform for legitimacy. We urge the IOC to suspend Iran’s official participation in Milano Cortina 2026.

Main Argument

We, the undersigned, call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Winter Olympic Federations (WOF), and the organizers of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games (Milano Cortina 2026) to suspend the participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the upcoming Olympics.

This call follows the massacre carried out by the Islamic Republic on 8–9 January 2026, when security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters across Iran using military-grade weapons. Even by the most conservative estimates, at least 12,000 protesters were killed, more than 8,000 people were permanently blinded, and over 300,000 were injured in just two days. According to verified reporting by Iran International, at least 70 professional and amateur athletes from different sports were among those killed. These atrocities constitute one of the deadliest episodes of state violence against civilians in recent history.

 

 

 

 

In this climate, it is unacceptable to allow a representative team of the Islamic Republic to use a global platform such as the Olympic Games to wave its flag and project an image of normalcy in the aftermath of such a brutal slaughter in Iran. Deplorably, these atrocities have not ended: repression continues against the thousands who have been arrested, against the wounded and those who care for them — including doctors and healthcare professionals — and against the grieving families. The Olympic Charter is founded on the principles of human dignity, peace, and respect for universal human rights. Permitting participation by a state that has so recently and so violently turned its weapons of war against its own people fundamentally contradicts these principles and risks transforming the Olympic Games into a vehicle for political whitewashing and repression.

Why this matters to the IOC

How the IOC responds to the participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be seen as a test of its commitment to its own Charter. Allowing a state responsible for mass civilian killings — including the deaths of athletes — to participate under its national banner risks irreparable damage to the credibility of the Olympic movement and sets a dangerous precedent that grave crimes carry no consequences in international sport.

The IOC has previously recognized that extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures when a state’s conduct fundamentally contradicts Olympic values. The situation in Iran demands the same seriousness and consistency.

We therefore call on the International Olympic Committee to:

• Suspend the Islamic Republic of Iran from participation in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
• At a minimum, should the IOC choose not to impose a full suspension, Iranian athletes must be permitted to compete only without the flag, anthem, or official representation of the Islamic Republic, ensuring that the Games are not used to legitimize or normalize a regime responsible for mass atrocities.

This petition is not directed against Iranian athletes as individuals. Many Iranian athletes themselves have been victims of intimidation, coercion, and punishment for expressing dissent or refusing to align with state ideology. Our demand is directed at the Islamic Republic as a governing body that systematically violates the values the Olympic movement claims to uphold.

Silence and inaction in the face of mass human rights violations make international institutions complicit. The Olympic Games must not proceed as if these atrocities are irrelevant.

We ask the international community to act with urgency. Sign and share now — the world must not reward mass violence with Olympic legitimacy.