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(CNN) – Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed in Iran on Saturday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, despite a high-profile international campaign calling for the sentence not to be carried out.
The 27-year-old was executed in a Shiraz prison, according to IRNA. He had been sentenced to death in connection with the death of the Iranian government’s water and sewerage department security agent Hasan Turkman during the August 2018 protests in Shiraz, according to Iranian state media Mizan.
Iran’s judicial spokesman, Gholam Hossein Esmaeili, was quoted by the Tehran municipality’s Hamshari daily as saying on Wednesday that Afkari was sentenced to the Islamic verdict of Ghesas. [qisas] or “remuneration in kind”.
According to Hamshari, Esmaeili said Afkari was required to appease the victim’s family by paying restitution. If he could not do so, the judiciary would be obliged to carry out the death sentence, because the case had already been reviewed by the Supreme Court and because the courts said that he had already confessed to killing Hassan Turkman.
IRNA reported Saturday that Afkari was executed after the victim’s family refused to forgive him and allow him to pay restitution.
Afkari’s lawyer, Hassan Younesi, told CNN that philanthropists had gone to the city of Shiraz and were trying to raise money to pay restitution, but it was too late: the Shiraz judiciary informed Afkari’s family that the sentence It had already been fulfilled and they did not have the opportunity to say goodbye.
The World Players Association (WPA), an international body representing professional athletes, protested the ruling and called for Iran to be threatened with expulsion from international sport, including the Olympic movement, if carried out the execution.
“Navid was one of thousands of Iranian citizens who participated in spontaneous demonstrations that year against the economic difficulties and political repression in Iran,” said a statement from the WPA. “However, he has been an unfair target by the Iranian authorities who want to set a high-profile and popular athlete an example to intimidate others who might dare to exercise their human right to participate in peaceful protests.”
WPA said in the statement that Afkari was “sentenced to death twice after being tortured to make a false confession.”
Addressing the protests, Esmaeili said, according to the Tehran newspaper, that the campaign aimed at stopping the execution led the judiciary to provide a videotaped confession and re-enactments made by Afkari himself on Iranian state television IRIB.
The Afkari case sparked interest beyond sports circles. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for an international intervention and a new trial.
US President Donald Trump got involved last week, calling on Iranian leaders to spare Afkari’s life. “I learned that Iran seeks to execute a great and popular wrestling star, Navid Afkari, 27, whose only act was an anti-government demonstration in the streets. They were protesting the ‘worsening economic situation and inflation in the country,’ “Trump tweeted.
“To the leaders of Iran, I would be very grateful if you would spare the life of this young man and not execute him. Thank you! ”He added.
