Iran Executes a People’s Champion
Iran made headlines on Saturday when it executed a champion wrestler, Navid Afkari, despite a high profile international campaign to prevent his sentence from being carried out. The 27-year old was sentenced to death in relation to the alleged murder of a governmental security agent during nationwide protests in August of 2018. While the execution shocked the international community, for many Afkari’s case embodies the tragic reality faced by those struggling for justice and freedom inside Iran.
The charges against Afkari, who was arrested along with two of his brothers, had been met with widespread criticism from the outset of his trial. Amnesty International referred to the execution as a ‘travesty of justice’, noting that Afkari’s “confessions” were obtained under torture. Human rights advocates who campaigned for clemency argued that Afkari’s death sentence execution was not the result of guilt, but motivated by the regime’s desire to make an example out of him and silence dissent.
The World Players Association, an international body that represents 85,000 professional athletes, released a statement protesting the sentence and appealing to Iranian authorities to suspend the execution. “Navid was one of thousands of Iranian citizens who took part in spontaneous demonstrations that year against economic hardship and political repression in Iran,” said the statement. “However, he has been unjustly targeted by the Iranian authorities who want to make an example out of a popular, high-profile athlete and intimidate others who might dare exercise their human right to participate in peaceful protest.”
The regime in Tehran is notorious for its repression and ruthless use of capital punishment against dissidents. Afkari’s case mirrors that of thousands of political activists and opponents of the regime who have fought for freedom in Iran during the last 40 years. In fact, over the last decade, Iran has often ranked first in the world in per capita executions and continues to execute alleged child offenders. This past July marked the 32nd anniversary of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, where thousands of dissidents were executed en masse for their opposition to the Islamic Republic.
Despite the regime’s barbarity, the tradition of dissent remains alive and well in Iran. The wave of protests against the theocratic establishment that started in 2009 has never been completely stamped out, with large scale protests and strikes occurring across the country whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Afkari’s participation in these protests and status as an athlete placed him in a unique historical tradition for Iranians, and made him a prime target for the regime. His case is reminiscent of Gholamreza Takhti, a wrestler and Olympic gold medalist who captured the hearts of the Iranian masses in the 1960s. Takhti gained notoriety not only for his athletic prowess but also for his defiance of the Shah, and support for Mohommad Mossadegh’s quest for economic independence in the country. His status grew to that of a legend when he was found dead in his hotel room in January of 1968, with many alleging that he was murdered by the Pahlavi regime.
Afkari’s execution speaks volumes about the state of affairs in Iran. An outside observer may ask why the regime would carry out such a high profile execution while facing a crumbling economy, mounting international pressure, and a disastrous outbreak of COVID-19. The answer is simple; Iran fears its own population and the prospect of an uprising above everything else.
In using all of its power and malice to take the life of a national champion, the regime may have inadvertently turned Afkari into an enduring symbol of opposition, allowing him to join Takhti in death as a uniting symbol of hope and defiance.
In a final message released from prison Afkari provided a last goodbye and through his words perfectly captured the heroic struggle of a nation fighting oppression.
“If I am executed, I want you to know that an innocent person, even though he tried and fought with all his strength to be heard, was executed.”
