Navid Afkari Executed By Iran, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Expresses Shock Over Capital Punishment Meted Out To The Young Wrestler

Iran, on September 12 executed a wrestler for murdering a man during a wave of anti-government protests in 2018, drawing widespread condemnation & eliciting shock from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Navid Afkari, 27, was executed at a prison in the southern city of Shiraz, provincial prosecutor general Kazem Mousavi was quoted as saying on state television's website. Afkari had been found guilty of "voluntary homicide" for stabbing to death Hossein Torkman, a water department employee, on August 2, 2018, the judiciary said. Shiraz & several other urban centres across Iran witnessed anti-government protests & demonstrations over economic & social hardship. International Olympic Committee said it was "shocked" by the execution. London-based rights group Amnesty International said the "secret execution" was a "horrifying travesty of justice that needs immediate international action". Reports published abroad say Afkari was convicted on the basis of confessions aired on television after being extracted under torture, prompting online campaigns for his release. As per Amnesty, Afkari's two brothers Vahid and Habib are still in the same prison where he had been detained. US President Donald Trump had pleaded for Afkari's life earlier this month, saying his "sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2020 07:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).