Former ONE Welterweight Champion and former Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren took to Twitter regarding indie wrestler, Navid Afkari, after Iran imposed two death sentences on the peaceful protester.
All of you SJWs let’s go!!!! This man is being executed for showing up at an actual peaceful protest. Let’s get this trending and make something happen. https://t.co/k5KIki3sbS
— Bionic Ben (@Benaskren) September 2, 2020
Iran has condemned a 27-year-old champion wrestler to two death sentences and 74 lashes for protesting against the country’s government.
Navid Afkari, who has won medals in numerous of Iran’s national tournaments, was given the sentence by The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Court on Saturday and his request for an appeal was rejected, according to Iran Human Rights.
Afkari was reportedly part of the hundreds of protesters who took to the streets in anti-government demonstrations in several cities in August 2018. They were protesting the country’s worsening economic situation and inflation.
Afkari’s brothers, Vahid and Habib Afkari, were also handed prison sentences of 54 years and 27 years respectively, while both will receive 74 lashes.
According to Iran Human Rights, the three brothers were among hundreds of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest against the country’s worsening economic situation and high levels of inflation in August 2018.
They have now been convicted of over 20 different charges, including “corruption by forming a group of people opposed to the system, propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and insulting the supreme leader.”
The Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has a letter from Navid explaining how Iranian authorities used torture to extract confessions.
In the purported letter, Navid stated:
“They would beat me with sticks and batons, hitting my arms, legs, abdomen and back. They would place a plastic bag on my head and torture me until I suffocated to the very brink of death. They also poured alcohol into my nose.”
A forensic pathologist has since confirmed that injuries sustained in prison by Afkari were from torture, while eyewitnesses also told of the torture. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the evidence as inconclusive, according to Iran Human Rights.
No word on when Navid will be executed — but watchdog groups are calling for foreign governments to intervene quickly … before it’s too late.
We here at eWrestling.com will continue to check for updates regarding Navid Afkari’s criminal situation as update become available.
