Widespread Global Reaction Continues to Navid Afkari’s Execution; Political, Cultural, Sports Figures and Human Rights Organizations Condemn Execution of Iranian Wrestler
Global reactions to the execution of Navid Afkari by the Islamic Republic regime continue, and in addition to human rights organizations, political officials and international sports bodies have also condemned this action.
On Saturday, following the announcement of the execution of this young Iranian wrestler, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a message on his Twitter account using the Persian hashtag “They Killed Our Navid” wrote, “The execution of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime is a malicious and tyrannical act.”
He added: “We condemn it in the strongest terms. It is a heinous attack on human dignity, even by the despicable standards of this regime.”
Robert Destro, U.S. State Department Director of Democracy and Human Rights, also expressed his anger over Navid Afkari’s execution following torture and forced television confession, and wrote in a tweet: “The Iranian regime’s cruelty knows no bounds and must be held accountable.”
Similarly, Kelly Craft, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, also in a tweet using the Persian hashtag “They Killed Our Navid,” condemned Navid Afkari’s execution 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.” She added: “The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced.”
Republican Senator Marco Rubio also condemned Navid Afkari’s execution and said: The execution of Navid Afkari, a wrestling champion, merely for exercising his right to freedom of speech, should remind the world that the religious regime ruling Iran is savage, cruel, and demonic.
Alissa Farah, White House Communications Director, also in a message on Twitter expressing sympathy with Navid Afkari’s family and the Iranian people wrote: The world sees the Iranian regime for what it really is, for its cruelty, savagery, and backwardness. She added that the extraordinary Iranian people deserve a better and brighter future.
Joe Biden, former U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party nominee in the presidential election, by publishing a message on Twitter called Navid Afkari’s execution cruel and shocking and said: “No country should arrest, torture, or execute protesters or peaceful activists. Iran must release other political prisoners including Nasrin Sotoudeh and Americans who have been unjustly detained.”
Human Rights Advocates and Organizations Condemn
International human rights organizations that previously called for a halt to the execution and fair trial for Navid Afkari condemned the carrying out of this sentence.
Amnesty International announced in a statement that it was shocked by the sudden, horrific, and secret execution of Navid Afkari. The statement reads: This mockery of justice requires a swift global response.
Ken Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, also, calling Navid Afkari’s execution shameful, wrote that prior to the execution, the organization in a statement had considered the issuance of the death sentence based on forced confessions and under torture as systematic conduct by Islamic Republic officials and had called for swift and transparent investigation into allegations of torture of Navid Afkari and his brothers and for their retrial.
Minky Worden, one of Human Rights Watch’s directors, also in a message on Twitter called the execution of Navid Afkari a shocking violation of human rights and, noting that Iran is hopeful of hosting numerous sporting events including the Asian Cup of Nations, wrote: “Let us never forget Iran’s execution of an athlete.”
Farah Pahlavi’s Reaction
Farah Pahlavi on Sunday, September 23, 1399 (Persian calendar) by issuing a statement, a copy of which was sent to Voice of America, while expressing sympathy with Navid Afkari’s mother and family, said: “Navid Afkari was a champion and departed the world a champion. Champion Navid Afkari, like all Iranians who throughout these years fought for Iran’s freedom, suffered the pain of imprisonment, torture, and execution, and never stopped fighting, sought justice and freedom and gave his life in this cause.”
Prince Reza Pahlavi’s Reaction
Prince Reza Pahlavi on Sunday, September 23, in an audio message, a copy of which was sent to Voice of America, while expressing sympathy with the Afkari family by stating that Navid’s dream was the end of discrimination, humiliation, oppression and corruption, and the return of Iran and faith in a different tomorrow, said: “Everyone who has Iran and the liberation of Iran in their heart is in mourning for Navid Afkari.”
International Sports Bodies’ Reactions
The execution of this 27-year-old Iranian wrestler triggered reactions from world sports bodies.
The National Olympic Committee on Saturday, following the announcement of Navid Afkari’s execution, in a statement called the news sad and announced that it was shocked to hear it. The National Olympic Committee also announced that previously Thomas Bach, the committee’s president, personally requested Navid Afkari’s pardon from the president and leader of the Islamic Republic. The statement added: It is deeply tragic that the requests of athletes around the world and the actions of the International Olympic Committee and World Wrestling Federation with Iran’s National Olympic Committee and Iran’s Wrestling Federation resulted in nothing.
The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) account also posted a photo of Navid Afkari in the midst of its competitions and wrote his birth and death dates in the Gregorian calendar. This action prompted reactions from many followers of the account, with many users informing others in the comments about the execution of this athlete.
Meanwhile, a video of Bobby Green, a martial arts champion, was posted on the same account in which, after completing his match, he announced in an interview that before the match he heard that “a man lost his life because of protesting” and because of this his heart broke. He left the interview incomplete.
Also, Prince Ali Hussein, President of Jordan’s Football Federation, also in a message on Twitter wrote: “It is very horrifying that Navid was killed without a fair and just trial.” He asked organizations such as FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, and World Wrestling Federation to ensure that until the Islamic Republic of Iran respects human rights, it does not gain access to international sports competitions.
Reactions from Other Activists and Cultural and Artistic Figures
Masih Alinejad, journalist and presenter and commentator for Voice of America’s Farsi service Tablet program, posted images of condolences placards and curtains from Navid Afkari’s friends that were installed in front of their home in Shiraz. In front of one of the placards, his wrestling medal was also installed.
Other videos show that Navid Afkari’s relatives and friends, as darkness falls, listen to his recorded voice in prison and light candles at his grave.
Navid Afkari’s execution prompted reactions from Iranian cultural figures around the world. Omid Jalili, a prominent British-Iranian comedian and actor, in a message wrote: “A reminder that the so-called Islamic Republic of Iran continues its policy of making false accusations to justify crime and human rights violations. They treated the Bahá’ís and minorities this way and now they do the same with their sports champion. A bitter truth on Earth in the 21st century.”
Arei Shahruz Shalikar, writer and senior Israeli government official, also in a message on Twitter wrote: “My feeling is like someone who has the scar of a brother on his soul. I do not forgive the Islamic Republic for the calamities it brought upon this beautiful country. The land where my parents were born and raised. Rest in peace, brother Navid Afkari.”
Golshifteh Farahani, Iranian actress in Hollywood, also by posting the Navid Afkari hashtag on her Twitter wrote: “A rope is around Iran’s neck. Navid Afkari is Iran’s flesh and blood. Iran’s wrestler. Iran’s athlete. Iran’s good son and his mother… no longer has life…. Iran has no life…”
Rakhshan Bani Etemad, film director in Iran, also wrote on Twitter: “Ill fate in Shahrivar 1399, connected Iran’s Cinema National Day by pulling Navid Afkari so that it is never forgotten that art’s mission is to shine light on the archive of oblivion.”
Ms. Bani Etemad in another protest tweet wrote: “What are you doing to the people? Which window have you left open for hearing the voice of the people? Are you still intent on depriving people through violence of the most basic human rights and the most obvious needs of citizenship? Know that the suppressed cry in the throat of this land’s people will remain in history.”
Also Ibrahim Hamedi, with the artistic name “Abi,” a prominent Iranian singer on his Instagram account by posting Navid Afkari’s name on a black page wrote: “When you are in the pit of stupidity, our champion becomes the sky…”
Mohammad Rasoulof, Iranian film director, also wrote on Twitter: “Navid Afkari became a victim of your power’s show, but his soul settled in our soul. Where the memory of those killed in November, the memory of Ukrainian flight passengers, the memory of Pouya Bakhtiari, executions in Kurdistan, the memory of Nasrin Sotoudeh’s suffering, Narges Mohammadi and all freedom fighters’ sufferings settled. Are you not afraid of the ocean of hatred you create?”
Nazanin Boniadi, British-Iranian actress in Hollywood and human rights activist, also by posting a message on her Twitter account wrote that today was a hard day for many Iranians. She, by stating that “we all hope to those who cried out for Navid Afkari’s salvation” added: “To those who remain silent: how many more innocent lives must be lost before you condemn human rights violations in Iran?”
Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestler and one of those arrested in public protests on Saturday, September 22, was executed in Shiraz.
Navid Afkari’s death sentence prompted international protests in recent days and a widespread internet campaign was formed in protest of his sentence. Donald Trump, President of the United States, also in a tweet asked Iran not to execute this wrestler.
However, according to Hassan Younesi, Navid Afkari’s lawyer, the Islamic Republic’s judiciary was “in such a rush to carry out the sentence” that contrary to its approved regulations it prevented the person sentenced to death from meeting his family before the execution.
Navid Afkari, who was arrested following the protests of August 2018, had been sentenced to 2 executions, six and a half years imprisonment, and 74 lashes. He was convicted on charges such as inciting the people with intent to undermine the country’s security, propaganda activities against the system, insulting the leadership and conspiracy to six years and six months in prison. However, his most severe punishment is for the charge of killing a security officer during the protests in Shiraz. He was sentenced to death twice on charges of murder and armed rebellion against the state.
Vahid and Habib, this wrestler’s brothers, were also convicted of similar charges to 54 and 27 years in prison with lashes.
A source close to the Afkari brothers says the death sentences and lengthy prison sentences for these three brothers were based on forced confessions following severe torture and threats.
Navid Afkari’s mother also in a video posted on social media announced that her sons’ trial was unfair and security personnel forced them under torture and threats to confess against each other.
U.S. Reaction to the Verdict; President Trump: They Were Protesting Economic Deterioration
Donald Trump, President of the United States, on Thursday, September 13, in a message on Twitter reacted to the news of an Iranian athlete’s conviction for participating in street demonstrations and asked the Islamic Republic’s officials not to execute him.
President Trump wrote: We hear that Iran is seeking to execute a great and popular wrestling star, 27-year-old Navid Afkari, whose only action was participating in anti-government street demonstrations. They were protesting “economic deterioration and inflation.”
He continued in another tweet addressing Iran’s leaders: “It would make me very happy if you would spare the life of this young man and not execute him. Thank you!”
Earlier, Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, on Twitter wrote: “We, like the [world], are angry about the death sentence issued for Navid Afkari, who after participating in peaceful demonstrations in 2018 was tortured and forced to make false confessions. The Iranian regime also tortured his two brothers and sentenced them to decades in prison. Release them!”
Following the release of a video from Navid Afkari’s mother, social media users protested against this verdict and called for the revocation of the death sentence.
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 convictions in the 1980s.
The United States says the Islamic Republic uses the country’s wealth to support terrorist groups and destabilize the Middle East instead of serving the Iranian people. The United States has also repeatedly condemned endemic financial corruption and the plundering of Iran’s natural resources by regime-affiliated officials and has identified them as among the main causes of Iran’s economic and financial problems.
Source: Voice of America
