Bodybuilding champion Reza Tabrizi arrested after criticizing the opening of religious places amid the coronavirus crisis
Reza Tabrizi, a bodybuilding champion and bodybuilder living in Mashhad, was arrested following the publication of an Instagram post in recent days.
According to videos posted on social media, police forces arrested Reza Tabrizi in front of his sports club and took him away. Meanwhile, a group of people known as "personal clothing" were chanting slogans against him.
Journalist Masih Alinejad, who posted the video on Twitter, wrote that Mr. Tabrizi was arrested after posting a post on Instagram in which he questioned why religious places were open while sports clubs were closed due to coronavirus restrictions.
Ms. Alinejad said in another tweet that Mr. Tabrizi had been arrested on charges of blasphemy and that "today, domestic ISIS members in the homeland called for his execution."
The arrest of Reza Tabrizi in Mashhad due to his protest against the dual policies of dealing with the coronavirus crisis occurred at a time when the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran, following the Muharram mourning ceremony, has led to a sharp increase in the number of deaths and infections from the disease.
Two months ago, the execution of Navid Afkari, a young Iranian wrestler, was met with widespread reactions worldwide.
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.”
On the other hand, Robert Destro, the US State Department's director of democracy and human rights, expressed his anger and dismay at the execution of Navid Afkari after torture and a forced televised confession, writing in a tweet: "The Iranian regime's cruelty knows no bounds and they must be held accountable."
Human rights organizations say the Islamic Republic does not handle accusations fairly and in many cases innocent people have been tried and even executed. For example, in the 1960s, the Islamic Republic executed thousands of people who had been sentenced to prison.
Source: Voice of America
