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Who is Navid Afkari? How the wrestling star was executed by Iran despite global pleas including Trump

It is believed the regime wanted to make an example of Afkari because of his high profile in the country by sentencing him for participating in mass protests against Iranian political repression

Navid Afkari, 27, was hanged on Saturday, September 12, morning in Adelabad prison in the city of Shiraz, according to a Fox News report based on Iranian state media IRNA.

Afkari was an Iranian wrestling champion. He was given two death sentences, one by a criminal court and the other by a "revolutionary" court for engaging in peaceful protests against the Iranian regime. The Iranian Supreme Court had confirmed that apart from the death sentences, Afkari had been given six years of prison, and 74 lashes for participating in protests in Iran in 2018.

His two brothers Vahid and Habib were also given prison sentences. Vahid was sentenced to 54 years in prison and 74 lashes and Habib received 27 years behind bars and 74 lashes. The three brothers were reportedly charged by Iran's judiciary with 20 different crimes, including "attending illegal gatherings, assembly and conspiracy to commit crimes against national security, and insulting the supreme leader."

In an audio statement released from prison earlier this month, Afkari said that he was tortured and forced by officials to extract a confession from him and in the same statement said he retracted his confession later. This statement was sent after his death sentence was confirmed in late August.

It is believed the regime wanted to make an example of Afkari because of his high profile in the country by sentencing him for participating in the mass protests against the Iranian political repression. Accusations of stabbing a water supply company employee in the southern city of Shiraz during the protests were also leveled against Afkari by authorities. 

President Trump's appeal 

Afkari's arrest and sentencing garnered international attention and sparked global outrage. A number of powerful voices made their thoughts known about the case and made appeals to Iran to reconsider. "Hearing that Iran is looking to execute a great and popular wrestling star, 27-year-old Navid Afkarai, whose sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets. They were protesting the country’s worsening economic situation and inflation," tweeted Trump after his sentence was finalized.

British-Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi had recently been quoted saying, "Those close to him have said he was subjected to a forced confession under torture. Stop executions in Iran," according to a Daily Mail report. After his execution, Boniadi took to her social media to mourn Afkari's death and also shared a video of UFC fighter Bobby Green who appeared visibly shaken by the execution.

Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alijenad had been pleading for the execution to be lifted and campaigning on Twitter regarding the same. A couple of minutes ago, she shared a video of Afkari's mother relaying her ordeal. "When I interviewed #NavidAfkari’s mother she told me that she checked the judiciary website every day to check if her son is alive and today he’s not. She said I cannot even say the word execution. He was murdered," Alijenad tweeted.