Global outcry over Iranian wrestler鈥檚 execution

Afkari's attorney accused authorities of denying his client a family visit before the execution, as required by law. (Reuters)
Short Url
  • Young champion was hanged on Saturday morning
  • Human rights groups, politicians, sports bodies issue condemnation

LONDON: Tehran鈥檚 execution of champion Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari has been widely condemned by rights groups, politicians and sports associations.

The 27-year-old was hanged on Saturday after being found guilty of the murder of a security officer during anti-government protests in 2018.

The 鈥渟ecret execution鈥� of Afkari, 鈥渨ithout prior notice to him, his family or lawyer, after a grossly unfair trial, is a horrifying travesty of justice that needs immediate international action,鈥� Amnesty International said in a statement issued to Arab News.

In the run up to his execution, he 鈥渨as subjected to a shocking catalogue of human rights violations and crimes, including enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment,鈥� Amnesty added.

Throughout his detention, he was denied access to a lawyer and tortured into making forced confessions that were then broadcast on Iranian state TV.

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty鈥檚 deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Afkari had continued to seek justice up until his sentence was carried out.

鈥淭his young man desperately sought help in court to receive a fair trial and prove his innocence,鈥� she added.

鈥淟eaked voice recordings of him in court expose how his pleas for judges to investigate his torture complaints and bring another detainee who had witnessed his torture to testify were unlawfully and cruelly ignored.鈥�

Human Rights Watch (HRW) also condemned the execution, calling it a 鈥渃ruel act鈥� that 鈥渟hows an utter disregard for the most fundamental human rights norms.鈥�

HRW denounced Iran鈥檚 judicial system, and said Afkari鈥檚 death sentence was emblematic of a 鈥渟ystematic pattern in which Iranian authorities disregard torture allegations and use coerced confessions in trial proceedings.鈥�

Afkari鈥檚 hanging also drew condemnation from US politicians across the political spectrum. On Twitter, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden described it as 鈥渃ruel鈥� and 鈥渁 travesty,鈥� and urged Iran to 鈥渇ree its other political prisoners.鈥�

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the execution was a 鈥渧icious and cruel act,鈥� and 鈥渁n outrageous assault on human dignity, even by the despicable standards of this regime.鈥� He added: 鈥淭he voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced.鈥�

Various international sports bodies have also been vocal in their condemnation. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was 鈥渟hocked鈥� by the 鈥渧ery sad news.鈥�

It added that IOC President Thomas Bach had appealed directly to Iran鈥檚 president and its supreme leader to spare Afkari鈥檚 life, and that it was 鈥渄eeply upsetting鈥� that his execution was carried out regardless.

Geneva-based United World Wrestling, the governing body for amateur wrestling worldwide, said it was 鈥渄eeply upsetting鈥� that Tehran had ignored the 鈥減leas of athletes from around the world.鈥�