International community on Sunday condemned the execution of Navid Afkari, an Iranian prominent champion who had participated in an anti-government protest about two years ago.
“The Iranian regime’s execution of Navid Afkari is a vicious and cruel act. We condemn it in the strongest terms. It is an outrageous assault on human dignity, even by the despicable standards of this regime. The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced,” The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted using a Persian Hashtag #نویدمان_را_کشتند (they killed our Navid).
“Today we stand with the family of Navid Afkari, and all Iranians, in mourning his death at the hands of this brutal and merciless regime. His life, and his death, will not be forgotten.”
Using the same Hashtag as Pompeo, Kelly Craft, the US envoy to the United Nations tweeted: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Navid Afkari. We condemn the Iranian regime’s continued and audacious disregard for human life. The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced.
Joe Biden, the US 2020 presidential candidate called the execution of Afkari “cruel.”
“Iran’s cruel execution of Navid Afkari is a travesty. No country should arrest, torture, or execute peaceful protestors or activists,” he tweeted, “Iran must free its other political prisoners, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, and release unjustly detained Americans.”
Meanwhile, Scandinavian countries expressed their condemnation over Afkari’s execution.
“Appalled by Iran’s execution of Navid Afkari. Norway opposes the use of #DeathPenalty under all circumstances and as a matter of principle FM,” the Norway foreign ministry tweeted.
“Appalled by reports of the execution of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. Sweden and the rest of the EU consistently underline the right to due process and oppose the application of capital punishment under all circumstances in all cases without exception,” Ann Linde, Swedish Foreign Minister tweeted.
“Appalled by execution of #NavidAfkari by Iranian authorities. Denmark remains categorically opposed to use of capital punishment. Use of torture in Iranian prisons and denial of right to due process is well-documented and must be condemned,” Jeppe Kofod, the Danish Foreign Minister tweeted.
Amnesty International called the execution of Afkari ‘’travesty of justice.”
“The secret execution this morning of wrestling champion Navid Afkari, without prior notice to him, his family or lawyer, after a grossly unfair trial, is a horrifying travesty of justice that needs immediate international action,” Amnesty International said in an announcement.
