Global Protests Continue Against Death Sentence; Navid Afkari and His Brothers Denied Visitation and Contact

A source close to the Afkari brothers says all three brothers have been denied visitation and contact and have been severely beaten.

This source close to the Afkari family, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Voice of America that Navid Afkari was transferred on Thursday, September 4, without prior notice to an unknown location, and his two other brothers were taken to the reformatory ward of Adelabad Prison on Saturday, September 6, after being beaten by prison officials.

According to this informed source, the Afkari family, after learning of Vahid and Habib’s transfer to the reformatory ward and having no news of Navid’s whereabouts, visited Adelabad Prison and requested contact with the three imprisoned brothers, but their request was met with opposition from prison authorities.

Based on available information, the Afkari family again visited Adelabad Prison on Sunday, September 7, to follow up on the condition of the three imprisoned brothers. After much insistence with prison officials, they were able to have a brief phone call with Navid Afkari, the political prisoner sentenced to death, after three days of no contact. According to this informed source, Mr. Afkari informed his family during this call that all three brothers had been beaten and were currently transferred to the reformatory ward of Adelabad Prison. Navid Afkari stated: “We have been injured. They do not allow us to file complaints and they do not send us to the forensic doctor. Tell the lawyers that we must definitely be sent to the forensic doctor.”

Global Reactions

Various individuals and organizations have protested the death sentence and imprisonment of Navid Afkari and his brothers over the past week. Following reactions from President Trump and U.S. State Department officials, on Tuesday, Michael White, a former American hostage in Iran, protested Navid Afkari’s death sentence in a video.

Mr. White, a former U.S. Navy veteran who was imprisoned in Iran for nearly two years, was released from Iran a few months ago. In his video, he called on the Islamic Republic to immediately and unconditionally release Navid Afkari.

Denial of Visitation

According to this informed source, Navid Afkari’s phone call was the last contact these three imprisoned brothers have had with their family members, and over the past two days, despite the Afkari family’s renewed visits to Adelabad Prison, they have still not been allowed visitation. In response to the concerns of Behiye Namjoo, the mother of the Afkari brothers, who had told prison officials, “I don’t know if my son is alive or dead,” prison authorities responded that “the last time you came and spoke with Navid, the whole world found out,” and emphasized that the Afkari family must “meet with the head of the judiciary and obtain a court order for contact.”

Ms. Namjoo, the mother of the Afkari brothers, had previously stated in videos that officials tortured her sons to testify against each other, and Vahid attempted suicide twice under these tortures.

Voice of America also reported on the details of the case of these three imprisoned brothers in Iran; a report based on available information stating that their death sentences and long prison terms were based on forced confessions following severe torture and threats.

Based on information received by Voice of America, Navid Afkari’s case has not changed at present, his death sentence is final, and his lawyers are expected to file their request for retrial. The Afkari family also hopes that the request for retrial will be considered and the case of this political prisoner will be reviewed and reconsidered.

This person close to the Afkari family told Voice of America that following Navid Afkari’s visitation ban since Thursday of last week and the visitation ban of his two other brothers since Saturday, the condition of the Afkari family is indescribable, and their only concern is contact from Navid to say “I am alive.”

Human rights organizations say the Islamic Republic does not fairly investigate charges and sometimes innocent people have been tried and even executed. For example, the Islamic Republic executed tens of thousands of people with prison sentences in the 1980s.

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reacted on September 4 in a tweet to the news of the conviction of an Iranian athlete for participating in street protests and asked officials of the Islamic Republic not to execute him.

Simultaneously, Morgan Ortagus, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, wrote on Twitter: “Like the rest of the world, we are outraged by the death sentence for Navid Afkari, who was tortured and forced to make false confessions after participating in peaceful protests in 2018. The Iranian regime also tortured his two brothers and sentenced them to decades in prison. Release them!”