Navid Afkari's death sentence was carried out without the right to a final visit and without the case's lawyers being informed.
An informed source says that Navid Afkari was executed in Shiraz on Saturday, September 12, and buried under security measures, without being granted the right to a final meeting with his family members.
An informed source close to Afkari's family said in an exclusive interview with the Persian service of Voice of America on Sunday, September 13, that Navid Afkari's death sentence has been carried out while the family and lawyer of this political prisoner were not aware of the execution date and were unable to meet him for the last time.
According to this informed person, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestler and one of the detainees in the popular protests on Saturday, September 12, was executed in Shiraz and buried in Sangar village, Sepidan, Fars province, with some family members present, under strict security measures, and his family is currently not allowed to hold any ceremonies.
The informed source told VOA that the political prisoner announced in his last brief call with his family on Friday, September 11, that prison officials had told him that he would be transferred to Tehran on Saturday morning, along with Vahid and Habib Afkari.
The source, who did not want to be named, told VOA: "The lawyers in the case, who were unaware of the execution of the sentence, were scheduled to return to Shiraz on Saturday to meet with the victim's family, but before the meeting, they were informed by a call from Navid Afkari's brother that the death sentence had been carried out, a death sentence whose case had countless contradictions."
Hassan Younesi, Navid Afkari's defense lawyer, announced on Twitter that the news of this political prisoner was published at a time when a group of Shiraz benefactors were scheduled to meet with the victim's family on Sunday, September 13, to discuss and gain their consent.
According to Mr. Younesi, the Islamic Republic's judiciary was "in such a hurry to execute the sentence" that, contrary to its own approved regulations, it prevented a person sentenced to death from meeting with his family before the sentence was carried out.
Previously, Voice of America reported on some of the contradictions in the Navid Afkari case, from a confession made under torture to a witness who retracted his testimony, and a film that was never aired; despite these contradictions, the Supreme Court rejected Navid Afkari's request for a retrial and the political prisoner's death sentence was carried out.
Continuing his conversation with VOA regarding the situation of Vahid and Habib Afkari, this informed source told VOA: "Currently, there is no information about the situation of the other two Navid brothers. Up to this point, there has been no news indicating that they have contacted their families, and no one knows exactly in which ward of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz they are being held. However, it is likely that they are aware of the execution of the sentence and their situation is worrying."
According to this informed source, judicial authorities were unable to release evidence indicating that Navid Afkari was the accused, and even the video they said existed of the moment of the murder has not been released, despite Navid Afkari's repeated requests for its release.
He said: "A day has passed since the execution of this political prisoner, and from now on it is up to the people to continue the legal action for Navid Afkari. Even if the family does not have the means to pursue legal action."
The execution of Navid Afkari has sparked widespread global reaction.
On Saturday, September 12, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, using the Persian hashtag "They killed our Navid," called the Iranian regime's execution of Navid Afkari a vicious and cruel act, and strongly condemned it, writing, "The execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime is a vicious and cruel act."
Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the United Nations, also condemned the execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime in a tweet using the Persian hashtag “They killed our Navid.” Kelly Craft expressed her condolences to Navid Afkari’s family and wrote: “We condemn the Iranian regime’s continued and shameless disregard for human life.”
He added: "The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced."
On the other hand, Robert Destro, the US State Department's director for democracy and human rights, expressed his anger and dismay at the execution of Navid Afkari after torture and a forced televised confession, tweeting: "The Iranian regime's cruelty knows no bounds and they must be held accountable."
Navid Afkari, who was arrested following the August 2018 protests, was sentenced to two executions, six and a half years in prison, and 74 lashes.
The wrestler's brothers, Vahid and Habib, have also been sentenced to 54 and 27 years in prison with whipping on similar charges.
US reaction to the ruling; President Trump: They were protesting the worsening economic situation
On Thursday, September 4, US President Donald Trump responded to the news of the conviction of an Iranian athlete for participating in street protests in a message on Twitter, urging the Islamic Republic's authorities not to execute him.
President Trump wrote: "We hear that Iran is seeking the execution of a huge and popular wrestling star, Navid Afkari, 27, whose only action was to participate in anti-government street demonstrations. They were protesting the "worsening economic situation and inflation."
He continued in another tweet to Iranian leaders: "It would please me if you spare this young man's life and do not execute him. Thank you!"
Hours earlier, US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus tweeted: "We, like the world, are outraged by the death sentence handed down to Navid Afkari, who was tortured and forced to make a false confession after participating in peaceful protests in 2018. The Iranian regime also tortured and sentenced his two brothers to decades in prison. Release them!"
The US State Department spokesperson reacted in a tweet to the issuance of death and prison sentences for Navid Afkari and his brothers, who participated in the "peaceful demonstrations of August 2018", and called for their release.
VOA previously reported that a source close to the Afkari family, who did not wish to be named for their safety, told VOA that the handling of their charges in three separate cases at the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, Branch 1 of the First Criminal Court, and the Second Criminal Court of Fars Province was "unfair and without respect for any human rights principles."
This is while the Afkari brothers, while denying the charges, especially the murder of a security officer, say that they were forced to make false confessions under severe pressure and torture. In recent days, many world sports figures have protested the death sentence for Navid Afkari.
Various protest letters have also been launched by a number of sports organizations and human rights groups, which have so far been signed by thousands of people around the world.
These letters have been sent to the International Olympic Committee, the World Wrestling Federation, and several other sports and human rights organizations.
Human rights organizations say the Islamic Republic does not handle accusations fairly and that innocent people have sometimes been tried and even executed. For example, in the 1960s, the Islamic Republic executed thousands of people who had been sentenced to prison.
The United States says the Islamic Republic is spending its wealth, rather than the Iranian people, on supporting terrorist groups and destabilizing the Middle East. The United States has also repeatedly condemned the institutionalized financial corruption and looting of Iran's God-given assets by regime affiliates, calling them among the main causes of Iran's economic and financial problems.
Source: Voice of America
