Iran’s Wrestling Champion, Navid Afkari, Was Executed

Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old political prisoner, was executed early Saturday morning (September 12, 2020), despite a global campaign calling on Iran to revoke his death sentence.

Navid Afkari sent many messages from prison saying he was tortured into confessing to crimes he did not commit. This is his voice recording urging all the good people to act:

Mrs. Bahieh Namjoo, Navid Afkari’s mother, also asked for help from all Iranians and the world in a video message to save the life of her champion son Navid Afkari.

I am Bahieh Namjoo, mother of Vahid, Navid and Habib Afkari Habib was tortured so much. Vahid was tortured to confess agnst his brother, Navid My sons were not able to defend themselves as the trial was very unfair.

Many worlds and Olympic champions and wrestlers in the United States and Europe had issued messages calling for abolishing the death penalty for Navid Afkari.

Sally Roberts from U.S. calls for save Navid Afkari Iran’s wrestler champion. Wrestler #NavidAfkari is to be hanged for attending peaceful #IranProtests Athletes must #SaveNavidAfkari.

Dana White from the United States: Iran, please spare Navid Afkarai.

American Wrestling World Champion and Olympic medalist J’den Cox joins the #SaveNavidAfkari campaign.

German world champion Frank Stäbler: #SaveNavidAfkari wrestler champion from Iran. German world champion Frank Stäbler: #SaveNavidAfkari; wrestling family & the worldwide sports community stand behind him. We fight together to get Justice for Navid & his family. I pray for him”

But Iran’s mullahs have executed political prisoner Navid Afkari after obtaining confessions under torture and despite a global campaign calling to revoke his death sentence.

This atrocity of the mullahs and the criminal execution of a sports champion shows the dire human rights situation in Iran under the mullahs’ religious dictatorship.
The world must react with practical measures against this boundless savagery of the mullahs.
Undoubtedly, by continuing their struggle and uprisings against the mullahs’ dictatorship, the Iranian people will overthrow it and build a free and democratic Iran in which all people, including athletes, youth, and women, will have the opportunity to live a better life and grow and prosper.

Originally published at http://freedomstarblog.wordpress.com on September 12, 2020.