Iran announces that it has executed a wrestler sentenced to murder, the IOC expresses his dismay

Iranian state television announced this Saturday that it has executed Navid AFKARI, a wrestler, for murder. The International Olympic Committee (CIO) announced its dismay and regrets that its calls have not been heard.

Iran announced on Saturday that it has executed a young wrestler, Navid Afkarisentenced to death for the murder of an official during “riots“In 2018, according to the state television website. The sentence of”qesas“, that is to say the”Talion law“, a sentence of”remuneration“, was executed this morning in a Chiraz prison, the province of Fars province, I say Mousavi. Capital sentence has been applied “Faced with the insistence of the victim's family“He added.

But according to Mr. Afkari's lawyer, me Hassan Younessia meeting with the victim's family was to take place on Sunday for “ask for forgiveness“And thus avoid the application of capital punishment.”Were you if in a hurry that you refused Navid his right to a last visit“, insurgiated Me Younessi on Twitter. Human rights organization Amnesty International was alarmed on Friday from”imminent secret execution“Of Navid AFKARI, saying that he and his two brothers, sentenced to heavy prison terms in the same case, were the”last victims of the Iranian deficient judicial system “.

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According to the judicial authority, Mr. Afkari had been found guilty of “voluntary homicide“On an official of the public water management in Chiraz (south), stabbed on August 2, 2018. Like several other cities of Iran, Chiraz had been the theater that day of demonstrations hostile to power and denouncing the economic and social situation of the country.

The verdict had done controversial and the support had flocked to Iran as abroad after the publication of information abroad saying that Mr. Afkari, 27, had been sentenced on the basis of confessions extorted under torture. The agency of the judicial authority Mizan Online had denied these accusations in early September. The American president Donald Trump had called Iran to “save“The life of a”Big Star of the struggle (…) who only participated in an anti -government demonstration“.

The International Olympic Committee (CIO) responded to Iran in A press release published on its website. “The execution of the Navid Afkari wrestler in Iran is very sad news. The IOC is shocked by this announcement today. President Thomas Bach had sent several direct personal calls by letter this week to the Supreme Guide and the Iranian President to ask for the grace of Navid AFKARI “, explains the IOC in its press release before adding that it was “Deeply regrettable that the calls of athletes from around the world and all the work carried behind the scenes by the IOC with the Iran National Olympic Committee, the World Federation of struggle (UWW) and the Iranian fight federation did not achieve our goal.”

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With at least 251 executions in 2019, Iran is, after China, the country which uses the most capital punishment according to the latest world report on the death penalty published by Amnesty International. This number has nevertheless “halved“Compared to 2018, according to Amnesty.