Habib Afkari Sangari

Habib Afkari Sangari was arrested and sentenced to prison for participating in the August 2018 protests in Shiraz. His brother was also sentenced to death for allegedly killing a security agent.

Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were arrested for participating in the August 2018 protests. Navid Afkari was sentenced to death, and the Iranian judiciary sentenced two other brothers to imprisonment. Vahid Afkari had been sentenced to 50 years in prison, and Habib Afkari had been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison before the consolidation of cases. It should be noted that Navid Afkari was executed on September 13, 2020, without any formalities in the Iranian judiciary. Following the execution of Navid Afkari, the international community widely protested the apparent human rights violations against Iranian protesters <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='32316'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> In his final report, the case investigator cited confessions and security investigations: > The defendants, in this case, have taken various actions to fight the Islamic government. "Writing slogans, attending protests, and attacking security forces are among the prosecutor's report items. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32311'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2GnlK7O'> According to Iranian government-affiliated media, one of the security forces named Hassan Torkaman was killed by unknown individuals simultaneously as the August 2018 protests. He was buried in one of the cemeteries of Shiraz with government ceremonial. According to human rights media investigations, Hassan Torkaman was one of the Government forces who was suppressing the widespread protests and shot dead by motorcycle riders after returning home. About a month and a half later, Navid and Vahid Afkari were arrested on the charge of "murdering Hassan Torkaman"; the two brothers later denied the charge. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32313'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> Security agents arrested Navid and Vahid Afkari without providing a warrant. The two brothers were taken to the Shiraz Intelligence Office, where they were subjected to "physical and psychological torture." According to HRANA, Navid Afkari accepted the "Murder accusation" under torture, but Vahid Afkari denied it. Vahid Afkari attempted suicide twice due to "severe torture" and taken to hospital. Officer Nikbakhti and Officer Abbasi were directly involved in the physical torture of them. It should be noted that the security forces arrested the father and son-in-law of this family later. Agents also arrested Saeed Arjmand Dashtaki in September. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32323'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> He was arrested </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32317'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%85_%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%81%D8%B1%DB%8C_%DB%B2.pdf'> According to HRANA, Branch 116 of the 2nd General Court of Shiraz, headed by Judge Ahmad Boroumandi, sentenced four defendants in this case to prison and flogging. Navid Afkari and Vahid Afkari were sentenced to three years in prison on the charge of "disobeying the officers' order," six months in prison on the charge of "insulting officers" and one year in prison and 74 lashes on the charge of "disturbing the public order." Judge Boroumandi sentenced Habib Afkari to seven years and six months in prison for "Assembly and collusion against national security," four years and six months in prison on the charge of "disobeying the police orders," and two years and six months on the charge of "using the knife for mayhem." He was also sentenced to nine months in prison on the charge of "insulting officers" and one year in prison and 74 lashes on the charge of "disturbing public order." Saeed Arjmand Dashtaki, the fourth defendant, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison on the charge of "disobeying police orders," two years and six months on the charge of "using the knife for mayhem," nine months in prison on the charge of "insulting officers" and one year in prison and 74 lashes on the charge of "disturbing public order." Mr. Arjmand and Mr. Habib Afkari have also been sentenced to pay blood money to the plaintiffs; Mr. Afkari was sentenced to pay about 7% of the total. They must also pay half of the 3% blood money. According to Article 134, each of the defendants' applicable sentence is as follows: 1- Habib Afkari Seven years and six months of imprisonment and payment of about 8% of the blood money 2- Saeed Arjmand Dashtaki Four years and six months in prison and paying about 1.5% of the blood money 3- Navid and Vahid Afkari (each of them) Three years of imprisonment The court acquitted all the defendants of "keeping stolen property (Basiji's baton), hiding defendants, and destroying the evidence" </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32321'> The First Branch of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mahmoud Sadati, issued death sentences and imprisonment for the defendants. According to the verdict, Navid Afkari was sentenced to death for "Moharebeh" and two years in prison for "insulting the leadership." Judge Sadati also sentenced Vahid Afkari to 25 years in prison on the charge of "assisting in moharebeh" and two years in prison on the charge of "insulting the leadership." Habib Afkari, another defendant in the case, was sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of "membership in opposition groups," to two years in prison on the charge of "insulting the leadership," and to one year in prison on the charge of "propaganda against the system." Other allegations, including "inciting people to fight and killing to disrupt the national security," acquittal is unknown. Applicable punishment for each: Execution and two years imprisonment for Navid Afkari, 27 years imprisonment for Vahid Afkari, Five years in prison for Habib Akari. All the verdicts issued (applicable verdicts) for these people are summarized as follows: > 1- Vahid Afkari sentenced to 2 times of executions and five years in prison. 2- Vahid Afkari sentenced to 55 years in prison. 3- Habib Afkari sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison and payment of blood money. 4- Saeed Arjmand sentenced to Four years and six months in prison and payment of blood money. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32319'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/?tg_rhash=22a41dd9689763'> HRANA verified several protesters' identities in Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz, who had been sentenced to death and long prison terms. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32342'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> The Afkari brothers are kept in three separate wards and are not allowed to see each other. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32326'> <reference source='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qUFqhPv6xA'> Navid Afkari's mother released a video stressing that "her children were tortured and Vahid Afkari was pressured during interrogation to confess against his brother." Bahiye Namjoo, the three defendants' mother, believes that "the court issued an unfair verdict and had no evidence." "I ask all the people of the world to help prove the innocence of my children," Ms. Namjoo said at the end of the video. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32350'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2GqeuIu'> Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the judiciary, "denied" the fact of torturing Navid Afkari in the intelligence service. The report also described the Afkari brothers as "evil" and said: > Navid Afkari also tried to assassinate one of the Basij members but failed. The news agency described Habib Afkari as a "police assaulted. Mizan claims: > The blows inflicted by Habib Afkari were so severe that the doctors struck 200 stitches on the policeman's body." In many cases, the Islamic Republic has identified political defendants as "criminals" for various purposes. Even cases have been acquitted in Iranian courts over time, despite allegations such as "assassination. For this reason, human rights organizations are distrustful of the Islamic Republic's claims </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32348'> According to human rights organizations and news agencies, in addition to Navid and Vahid Afkari, Habib Afkari was also "tortured" during interrogation </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32404'> <reference source='https://t.me/farsna/203909'> A video about Navid Afkari was broadcasted on the 20:30 TV program. In the program, the narrator introduced Navid Afkari as the "killer" of Hassan Torkaman. In the video, agents reconstructed the murder scene in the presence of Navid Afkari, and made him say: > I was following the victim, I called Vahid, and he came. Then, I stabbed him in the shoulder and neck two times." Officers showed a picture of a white-knuckled knife which they described as a murder weapon, although earlier the court had claimed that the knife had been left in a drain and could not be found. In addition to Navid Afkari's "confessions, a short excerpt from his brother, Vahid was also broadcasted in the video: > He hit the second stab into his shoulder." Earlier, human rights organizations reported that Mr. Afkari had confessed to the "murder" of Hassan Torkaman at the police station and Intelligence Detention Center under torture. In another part of the program, images of a CCTV camera were broadcasted showing Navid Afkari crossing the sidewalk. Contrary to the Islamic Republic's claim, a video showing the Afkari brothers committing "murder did not appear in the program. Hamidreza Jamshidi Ardakani, Navid Afkari's former lawyer, who resigned from the case due to security pressures, told a local reporter: > The Afkari family claimed that Navid had been tortured. Although the case investigator disagreed initially, arrangements were made to send him to forensic medicine. When I met Mr. Afkari, he said that he was not tortured. He also made this statement in writing and signed it." The honesty of the former lawyer's claim cannot be assessed due to the Iranian security system's behavior. Meanwhile, the circumstances and "possible denial of torture by Navid Afkari, claimed by Mr. Jamshidi, are not apparent. Another part of the video included Saeed Arjmand's written confessions: > Navid had told me that if I was asked what happened on August 2nd to tell them we were guests in our relative's house." Broadcasting the program caused a wave of protests on social media. "Most of the content of this program was incorrect, critics say. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33274'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54711209'> Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were beaten and transferred to solitary confinement cells 2, 3, and 4 in Adelabad Prison. Guards physically tortured and verbally abused Vahid and Habib when Vahid Afkari pursued his brother's transfer. Eventually, the two brothers also transferred to cells next to Navid Afkari </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33277'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54711209'> Afkari family went to prison to follow up on their children's situation. Later, Navid Afkari told a family member by telephone that they were beaten and asked to be taken to forensic medicine for a physical examination." It should be noted that prison officials have not accepted their complaint </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33280'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54711209'> The Afkari brothers underwent a medical examination by forensic officials in the presence of judicial officials. According to information released by the BBC Persian a few months later, more than 15 injuries have been reported for Navid Afkari, about six for Habib Afkari and four for Vahid Afkari </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32493'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/statements/a-527/'> Bahia Namjoo and Hossein Afkari, the mother and father of the Afkari brothers, wrote a letter to the head of the judiciary. The letter called on the judiciary to take steps to send their children to forensic medicine. "Even if a person commits murder and is tortured during interrogation, the execution should be stopped," the parents of the detainees wrote in their letter. According to the contents of this letter, there are also traces of physical torture on the bodies of each of the brothers. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32535'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26564/'> HRANA published a report on the "Ershad ward" of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were transferred to this ward before broadcasting the forced confessions video on the 20:30 news program. Evidence shows that the reason for their transfer was made to prevent any defense of the defendants against the Iranian television's allegations. This ward has unfavorable conditions so that prisoners are deprived of the right to contact their families and have no oversight on hygiene. For example, ward officials do not provide prisoners with items such as towels, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, and pillows; Prisoners do not even have blankets and use carpet on the floor during the cold season. This ward has four rooms of about 12 meters, with a toilet. Some prisoners who have received death sentences are being held in this ward. Suicides and clashes have been reported in large numbers due to this group of prisoners' psychological condition. For example, some prisoners kill other prisoners to delay the sentence's execution, which leads to retrials and ultimately slows the death sentence's performance. The Afkari brothers are now in a situation where they may suffer irreparable damage from officials or prisoners accused of dangerous crimes </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33283'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54711209'> "You are leaving for Tehran tomorrow, so you can call your mother to come and visit you," the prison guards told the Afkari brothers. According to Vahid Afkari, all three brothers just called their family members by phone in the late-night hours. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33285'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54711209'> According to a report by the BBC Persian, which was published a few months later, in the morning hours of September 12, the authorities told Afkari brothers: > It is time to go to Tehran." They took Navid first, and After a while, the authorities went to their cells and said, "We offer our condolences, Navid executed. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32559'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2RmewDg'> His brother, Navid Afkari was executed </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32585'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/MahmoudianMe/status/1305472372741373953'> The latest audio file of Navid Afkari, recorded the night before the execution, was published on social media. In the audio file, Navid Afkari told a family member: > Several forensic pathologists and the Fars Department of Justice came to the prison and wrote down the cases where the effects of torture were evident." Two days before Navid Afkari's execution, Mizan News Agency "denied the allegations of torture, citing the Director-General of Forensic Medicine. IPA considers the claims of the local media false. According to Navid Afkari, Khadem al-Hosseini, the head of prison security, has tortured him in recent days. According to this audio file, before executing the sentence, prison officials had told Mr. Afkari: > You will be sent to Tehran on Saturday morning to investigate the case. Mr. Afkari's words show that he had no doubts about the authorities' claim about transferring to Tehran and subsequently did not realize that the authorities were planning to carry out the death sentence. At the end of the conversation, while expressing hope for the case's state, he said: > Do not worry at all about my phycological condition, I am fine. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32691'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-features-54187452'> The BBC Persian examined the inconsistencies in Navid Afkari's case. According to BBC: 1- Navid Afkari had a substitute lawyer, except for a short time, and his substitute lawyer also made his appeal in the case. 2- According to the testimony of two witnesses in the retrial, Navid was at his older brother's house at the murder time, and Vahid Afkari was at his friend's house. The witnesses who identified Navid in the CCTV video emphasized that the video shown to them belonged to Dariush Street and is not related to where Mr. Turkman was killed, and the video belongs to one hour before the murder. 3- The confession of Mr. Saeed Arjmand, who acquitted after the confession against Navid, was obtained under pressure. He later officially withdrew that confession and even announced that he met Vahid Afkari in court for the first time. 4- Only six days passed from the retrial registration to the rejection in Branch 38 (including weekend). Is it possible to review a case with more than 600 pages in four days? 5- According to the statement, six relatives of the victim have demanded retribution, while the Turkman's parents, including his three children, are five people. Who is the sixth person? And if this number mentioned carelessly, how can we trust the rest of the documents? 6- The meeting minutes' signatories confirmed that Navid Afkari had spoken to his brother at 22:15. But there is evidence that Navid called his brother at 11:23. How did the signatories attest to the incident that happened an hour later? Also, they set up an issue on such a national and international scale on white paper without letterhead and a judge's order, with the signatures of anonymous people. 7- The signature of Navid Afkari is different from his signature in other notes, papers, and documents of the case. This report declares that the execution case of Navid Afkari needs clear answers to enlighten public opinion </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32810'> <reference source='https://www.state.gov/major-new-human-rights-related-listings-and-accompanying-sanctions-on-iran/'> The United States government announced sanctions against the judges, prisons, and the First Branch of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, who issued and implemented the death sentence for Navid Afkari. Judge Mahmoud Sadati, one of the judges who issued the death sentence and imprisonment for the Afkari brothers, is on this list. Judge Mohammad Soltani, head of the Third Branch of Mashhad Revolutionary Court, was also included in the list for suppressing freedom of thought; He had sentenced several Baha'i citizens to imprisonment in recent years. Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Urmia Prison, and Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad have been included in the US sanctions list as facilities used to suppress freedom of expression </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32963'> Vahid and Habib Afkari are still being kept in solitary confinement and had no contact with their families since Navid Afkari's execution </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33127'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/statements/a-538/'> Hossein Afkari and Bahieh Namjoo, the Afkari brothers' parents, wrote a letter demanding their children's transfer to a public ward. They added: > Explain for torturing our children. If you have received orders from someone else, introduce that person to us. The Afkari brothers had been tortured in prison before Navid Afkari's execution and therefore filed a lawsuit against the perpetrators, including a man named Khadem al-Hosseini. According to this letter's contents and the head of the prison's claim, the judiciary has not taken any action in this case. It should be noted that forensic medicine examined these three brothers and found 17 cases of injuries and damage to the body of Navid Afkari and 15 cases of injuries and damage to the body of Vahid and Habib Afkari </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>