Twitter Storm in Support of Navid Afkari’s Brothers; ‘End the Detention, Threats and Torture of Afkari Brothers’
A number of Twitter users, in support of Habib and Vahid Afkari, launched a Twitter storm using the hashtags “#Afkari_Brothers” and “#saveafkaribrothers”, and while calling on the Islamic Republic authorities to end threats, torture and prolonged detention of the Afkari brothers in solitary cells, demanded the release of these two brothers from prison.
Saeed Afkari, brother of these two prisoners held in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz, coinciding with the launch of this campaign and referring to 246 days of detention of his brothers in solitary confinement, wrote on Twitter: “My brothers Vahid and Habib Afkari, after being beaten for 21 days, were held 24 hours a day in handcuffs and shackles in underground solitary cells of Adel Abad.”
Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestler and one of those arrested during public protests on Saturday, September 22 in Shiraz, was executed. He was buried in the village of Sangar, Sepidan in Fars Province with the presence of some family members under strict security measures.
The Islamic Republic had accused Navid Afkari of killing a security officer. However, Mr. Afkari, his family, and his lawyers emphasized that there is no solid and convincing evidence about his role in this murder and that only his confessions obtained under torture were used to convict him.
Masih Alinejad, commentator and host of the Tablet program at the Persian service of Voice of America, also wrote in support of the Afkari brothers on Twitter: “A government has gone after this family and is torturing them. Let’s not leave Bahjeh Namjoo, the mother of Navid, Vahid and Habib, alone.”
Faezeh Abdi Pour, wife of Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, a imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish in Iran, also wrote: “They’re keeping Habib and Vahid in solitary because they’re afraid of them, afraid they’ll get access to a phone and expose their crimes again.”
Previously, an informed source close to the Afkari family, referring to months passing since the transfer of the Afkari brothers to solitary cells in Adel Abad prison, told Voice of America: “It is unclear what the authorities’ purpose and intention are in keeping Habib and Vahid in solitary. They are deprived of treatment and are not even transferred to the clinic or hospital for care. Ultimately, their intention is to apply pressure … to achieve their demands and goals.”
On the other hand, Mehdi Hajati, civil activist and former member of Shiraz City Council who was detained for some time in October 2018 for supporting two Bahá’í citizens, referring to the unfavorable conditions of a cell called “Ebrat” which he says the Afkari brothers are also imprisoned in, in support of these two imprisoned brothers wrote: “End the inhumane conditions of my brothers.”
Haniyeh Qaraghoghi, sister of Hamed Qaraghoghi, a political prisoner, also wrote on her Twitter page: “The Afkari brothers are a symbol of the rulers’ fear of truth, freedom and resistance to oppression.”
Ibrahim Allahbakhshi, one of the Gonabadi Dervishes, also wrote on Twitter in support of Vahid and Habib Afkari: “Beating, threats, solitary confinement and …, it seems it could not overcome the Afkari brothers and the government intended to kill them.”
Vahid and Habib, brothers of Navid Afkari, who are currently being held in solitary cells of Adel Abad prison, have been sentenced to 54 years and 27 years of imprisonment with lashes respectively on similar charges. This is while the Afkari brothers, while denying the allegations against them, especially the killing of a security officer, have repeatedly stated that they were forced under pressure and severe torture to make false confessions.
Human rights organizations say that the Islamic Republic does not fairly address charges and sometimes innocent people have been tried and even executed. For example, the Islamic Republic executed thousands of people with prison convictions during the 1980s.
