Reza Tabrizei, Bodybuilding Champion, Arrested Following Criticism of Religious Sites Remaining Open During Coronavirus Crisis
Reza Tabrizei, bodybuilding champion and resident of Mashhad, was arrested following the publication of an Instagram post in recent days.
Based on videos posted on social media networks, police forces arrested Reza Tabrizei in front of his sports club and took him away. During this time, a number of individuals known as “plainclothes officers” were chanting slogans against him.
Masih Alinejad, a journalist, who published this video on her Twitter account, wrote that Mr. Tabrizei was arrested following the publication of a post on Instagram. In that post, he had raised the question of why religious sites remain open at a time when sports clubs are closed due to coronavirus restrictions.
Ms. Alinejad in another tweet states that Mr. Tabrizei has been arrested on charges of insulting sacred values and “today too the nationalists wanting his execution demanded his death.”
The arrest of Reza Tabrizei in Mashhad is taking place due to his protest against the double standards in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran following the holding of Ashura mourning ceremonies has caused a sharp increase in deaths and those infected with the disease.
Two months ago, the execution of Navid Afkari, a young Iranian wrestler, faced very widespread reactions worldwide.
Mike Pompeo, the United States Secretary of State, on Saturday, September 13, in his Twitter account while using the Persian hashtag “They Killed Our Navid,” called the execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime a malicious and tyrannical act and strongly condemned it, writing, “The execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime is a malicious and tyrannical act.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. Representative to the United Nations, also in a tweet using the Persian hashtag “They Killed Our Navid,” condemned the execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime. Kelly Craft, while expressing sympathy with Navid Afkari’s family, wrote: “We condemn the Iranian regime’s continued and shameless disregard for human life.”
On the other hand, Robert Destro, Director of Democracy and Human Rights at the U.S. State Department, expressed his anger and displeasure over the execution of Navid Afkari after torture and forced televised confession and wrote in a tweet: “The Iranian regime’s cruelty knows no bounds and they must be held accountable.”
Human rights organizations say that the Islamic Republic does not fairly address charges and in many cases innocent people have been tried and even executed. For example, the Islamic Republic executed thousands of people in the 1980s who had prison sentences.
Source: Voice of America
