Vahid Afkari Sangari

He was sentenced to a long-term prison for participating in the August 2018 protests in Shiraz. Iran's judiciary claims that he "assisted in murder" at the same time as the protests. He was "tortured" by officers during interrogation. He had committed suicide twice for "severe torture"

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='32306'> <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='32292'> <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='32299'> <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='32300'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> Navid and Vahid Afkari were taken from the Shiraz Intelligence Office to Detention Center No. 100. The Afkari brothers were also tortured in this place. "A person named "Behrozi," who has a judicial position ordered law enforcement and intelligence officers to "torture" the defendants in this case. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32301'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-26368/'> He was taken from Shiraz Intelligence Detention Center to the prison. Navid and Vahid Afkari have been on hunger strike for several weeks during their detention. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32297'> <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='32344'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87_%D8%B4%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%87.pdf'> Navid Afkari referred to the abuses of Shiraz Intelligence agents in a letter to judicial authorities. He stressed that the confessions obtained on the charge of "murder" had been tortured. Mr. Afkari described the Shiraz Intelligence Office's torture as follows: > My hands, legs, stomach, and back were severely beaten with sticks and batons." He was later transferred to Shiraz No. 100 Detention Center, where he continued to be physically and psychologically tortured. "In addition to beating, they poured alcohol in my nose and verbally abused me, the intelligence agents tortured me in another way; They pulled plastic on my face and pushed me to suffocation. His brother, Vahid Afkari was also physically tortured with similar techniques </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32294'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%81%D8%B1%DB%8C_%DB%B1_-_%DA%A9%D9%85_%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%85_7bQFTwO.pdf'> First Branch of General Court 1 Fars, with the votes of counselors Mehrdad Tahamtan and Vahid Asadi, sentenced Navid Afkari to death for murdering one of the security forces. His brother, Vahid Afkari, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for "assisting in murder." "Testimony of witnesses, presence of defendants at the crime scene, confession, change of motorcycle's engine color after the murder, identification through CCTV and tracking of cell phone lines" are evidence that the court considered as a proof of murder. One of the ambiguities is that the indictment refers to the "explicit confessions" of the defendants. In contrast, the defendants emphasize that: > The court issued our verdict without any evidence, and we did not confess to the judge." These individuals stated that they had "confessed under torture during interrogation. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32304'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C_-_%DA%A9%D9%85_%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%85.pdf'> Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, with Mahmoud Hatami (counsel) votes and Mohammad Ali Ghasedi (deputy member), upheld the death sentence of Navid Afkari and 25 years of imprisonment for Vahid Afkari. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32310'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/fa/judge/336/'> 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. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32340'> <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='32325'> <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='32336'> "Mr. Afkari did not plead guilty to murder in court," Soheil Bashayandeh, Navid Afkari's lawyer, told IPA. The lawyer added: > The two brothers accused of the murder insisted that the confessions were obtained under torture at the time of their temporary detention. It should be noted that Mr. Bashayandeh did not defend the accusers at Navid Afkari's request. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32346'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-53977871'> BBC Persian released an audio file of Navid and Vahid Afkari's trial (Fars General Court 1). In a part of the audio file, Navid Afkari requested the judge to broadcast the prosecutor's representative's video. This alleged video was never shown to the Afkari brothers. Mr. Afkari's words suggest that he is sure the video file's allegation is "untrue." In another part of this audio file, Navid Afkari spoke on the subject of torture and emphasized that "the witness saw the scene of his hand breaking (under torture) with his own eyes." Shahin Naseri is the witness mentioned by Mr. Afkari. He said: ‌‌"Two agents tortured Navid with sticks and batons. Navid had his hand on his head to partially defend himself. Meanwhile, one of the officers hit him hard with a stick, and Navid fainted." According to Mr. Naseri, officers tortured Mr. Afkari and asked him to write down his confession. Shahin Naseri has attended court three times to testify against intelligence agents, but no investigation has been conducted. The investigator told Shahin Naseri: > You are interfering in the security case. He also threatened to make additional allegations against Shahin. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32335'> <reference source='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKi3WjY53zM'> An audio file of Navid Afkari was released. "According to the ruling by the Islamic Republic of Iran's judiciary, an innocent person is getting closer to the rope of death every moment. If nothing is done, his life will be taken away from him," he said in this audio file. He further emphasized his innocence, saying, "There is evidence that proves my innocence. If I am executed in the 21st century, let everyone know that my voice was not heard with all these human rights values, and I was wrongly executed. In another audio file posted on social media, he referred to legal efforts to prove his innocence: > The Judiciary did not want to hear my words, and I realized that they were looking for a neck for their rope. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32351'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2GqeuIu'> Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the judiciary, denied Navid Afkari's torture by 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 someone who assaults police. 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. Several cases have even been acquitted in Iranian courts over time, in spite of allegations such as "assassination. For this reason, human rights organizations are distrustful of the Islamic Republic's claims. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32356'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/vahid.mp3'> An audio file of Vahid Afkari was published on social media. "I have been tortured for a long time to write and sign what they want," Mr. Afkari said in the audio file. "They pulled plastic over my head, and held it tight to make me feel suffocated. They would stop after a minute and repeat. With my hands and feet tied, I was tased for hours. They hung me upside down for hours or hit my feet with batons; Then they forced me to walk with bruised feet," he said in the audio file. The police had detained Afkari's family members for several days to exert more pressure. Vahid Afkari had attempted suicide several times to end the abuses, and once he went on a hunger strike for 20 days. According to him, none of these caused the authorities to behave "fairly." In this audio file, Mr. Afkari called all the "documents" claimed by the security and judiciary "fake" and asked the judge: > If you have any evidence of me, my car or my mobile data at the murder scene, show it to us." Based on this audio file's contents, Judge Tahamtan behaved "derisively" in response to his defense. Vahid Afkari had repeatedly asked the court to allow the media to attend the trial. "I do not consider it appropriate to film the court session," Judge Tahamtan said in response to his request. According to Mr. Afkari and available documents, he has not yet pleaded guilty to "murder," and he has signed no paper to accept the charge of "murder. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32333'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/31W2DdD'> "Contrary to the claims of the local media, there is no video about the role of the accused in the murder," Hassan Younesi, the lawyer for Navid and Vahid Afkari, said in an interview with Emtedad. According to Mr. Younesi, there is only one video showing that Navid Afkari was at the murder scene one hour before the incident. "This also cannot be used as evidence to attribute the murder charge because it is located near shopping malls," he added. Mr. Younesi further emphasized that, according to Navid and Vahid Afkari, the confession had been obtained under torture: > The other defendants in the case also testified that they had confessed against Navid and Vahid under torture. He went on to cite other evidence that could save Navid Afkari from the risk of execution: > People have testified that the defendants were at their homes at the time of the murder. The new documents were reported to the Supreme Court by the lawyer. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32339'> The second note of Article 218 of the Islamic Penal Code indicates that "A confession has legal validity if made before a judge in court." This article states: > If the accused claims that his confession was obtained through threats, intimidation or torture, it (the accused person's claim) will be accepted without the need for evidence and oath." Human rights organizations have concluded that Navid and Vahid Afkari were sentenced based on "confessions received through torture." Still, in addition to the Shiraz General Court ruling, the Supreme Court upheld their sentences. In an interview with IPA, Navid Afkari's lawyer also confirmed that the defendant had explicitly denied the charge of "murder before a judge. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32360'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/1301497572629020672'> Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson for the US State Department, Tweeted: > We join the world in outrage at the Iranian regime's death sentence for Navid Afkari, who was tortured into giving a false confession after participating in peaceful protests in 2018. The regime also tortured his two brothers and sentenced them to decades in prison. Let them go! </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32354'> <reference source='http://www.ensafnews.com/255659/%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%b6%db%8c%d8%ad-%d8%b1%d8%a6%db%8c%d8%b3-%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af%da%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b1%db%8c-%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b3-%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%87-%d9%be%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af/#comment-62059'> According to the Fars Judiciary Public Relations department, Kazem Mousavi, the Chief Justice of Fars province, said: > Expert judges have reviewed this case. There can be no mistake. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32403'> <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='32401'> <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='33276'> <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='32492'> <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='33279'> <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='32533'> <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='33282'> <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='33286'> <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='32558'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2RmewDg'> His brother, Navid Afkari was executed </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32584'> <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='32690'> <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='32742'> <reference source='https://t.me/bbcpersian/79579'> In a report by BBC Persian, A record by Shiraz police mentioned the license plate of the Murderer, which is different from Vahid Afkari's motorcycle license plate. IRIB recently aired Afkari's motorcycle on a TV program that bears no similarity to the BBC document's specifications on Mr. Afkari's motorcycle. Some of Navid Afkari's defenses in Fars first Criminal Court were broadcast in this video report. Mr. Afkari has repeatedly emphasized his innocence in this court meeting. He argued that the judges did not provide a specialized investigation for any of his demands such as 1- Displaying CCTV video to him or the victim's family, 2- Authentication of people in the CCTV video, 3- Resolve ambiguities of crime scene 4- T-shirt owner authentication (a T-shirt similar to the Murderer's T-shirt was attributed to Mr. Afkari) 5- Investigation and research on the weapon used for Murder 6- Authentication of the Motorcycle owner </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32811'> <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='32962'> 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='33128'> <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>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33858'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-55344633'> Hossein Afkari and Hamid Afkari, father and brother of Navid Afkari were arrested for several hours at the cemetery in Sangar village. The reason for their arrest was to prevent them from putting the tombstone on his grave. Hours after their arrest, unknown individuals, presumably security forces, destroyed the concrete part of Navid Afkari’s grave. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='35831'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1385287713952251916?s=20'> Iranians on social media protested the continued detainment of Afkari brothers in solitary confinement. According to the information on Saeed Afkari’s page, Habib and Vahid Afkari have received “murder” threats from two high-ranking Islamic Republic officials. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='36612'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/vakilroaya/status/1429658416964947970?s=20'> The 38th branch of the supreme court rejected the retrial request for Vahid Afkari’s 25 years of prison sentence. Attorney at law Saeed Dehghan posted on his personal account: “Even if they had skimmed the case, they would have found enough legal reasons for a retrial in a verdict with 24 contradictions and three lies.” </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='37803'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1436965504032280578?s=20'> On the anniversary of the execution of Navid Afkari, his brother Saeed Afkari was arrested for several hours; He was assaulted and wounded during the arrest. Elham Afkari was also assaulted and battered during her brother’s arrest. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='37801'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1466047673027506185?s=20'> Saeed Afkari released some information about his incarcerated brothers. He announced on Twitter that after 15 months in prison Habib and Vahid Afkari are still denied phone calls with family, and they are kept together in a solitary cell. The brothers are kept in the “edification” ward which is used to enforce heavy restrictions on prisoners. Habib and Vahid Afkari have also been denied effective medical treatment. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41010'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1553776475790364673?s=20&t=8scRpGobMYTZU8-6RZr4oQ'> About 20 days ago Vahid Afkari pulled his cell’s CCTV cameras out of their place. After reinstallation by prison staff, he did it again about five days ago. Saeed Afkari, Vahid Afkari’s brother reported the news on Twitter and pointed out that Vahid has been kept in solitary confinement for the past 694 days. He announced that prison officials have threatened Vahid that if he does not take a stance against his executed brother Navid and people’s support for him, he will be kept in solitary forever. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41450'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1561403818591543297?s=20&t=wKXZc-zycPeZb9KX9dMdPw'> His brother Saeed Afkari, tweeted that after taking down the CCTV in his solitary cell, the prison warden went to visit him and said: > I 've heard that some people want to take advantage of the lack of camera to kill you. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41900'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1569356971748347904?s=20&t=3936_rxyfoyvZwxcXGghBg'> On the second anniversary of Navid Afkari's execution, his brother and sister Saeed and Elham released a new audio file of Navid's trial. In the file, Navid Afkari criticizes the representative of the prosecution and repeatedly asks the court to allow him to defend himself and tell the "truth". During the trial, Vahid and Navid Afkari ask the judge to record the audio and treat their case legally, but the judge ignores them. At the end of the file, Navid Afkari tells the judge: > You are treating us with such contempt. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42051'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/IranIntl/status/1569737417338376198'> Elham Afkari, Habib Afkari, and his wife were arrested on their way to his grave. His brother Saeed Afkari told Iran International that agents in civilian clothing stopped their car after Habib's resistance to arrest, he was taken to the rooftop of the police station in handcuffs where he was tied to a poll and severely beaten. According to Saeed Afkari's account, the security forces locked up Elham and Habib's wife in a room at the station. They were released a few hours later. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42915'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1584639012484321281?s=20&t=gc-ewZXD1uyVurZg0qRqdg'> Saeed Afkari reported on Twitter that in support of the nationwide uprising triggered by the murder of Mahsa Amini, on his way to the visitation cabin, Vahid Afkari pulled down the banners of Ali Khamenei and Ghasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of IRGC and chanted death to Khamenei in the central corridor of the prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='44117'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/IranIntlbrk/status/1600493812769497089?s=20&t=Ka1YxOSF0NMxFH1Da88mBw'> Iran International reported that Amnesty International released a statement addressing the chief of the judiciary and the Islamic Republic's ambassador to the EU objecting to the arbitrary arrest of Elham Afkari, and demanding the release of her and Vahid Afkari. Based on the report, Amnesty International also asked for guarantees that they will have access to medical treatment in prison and that there will be an investigation into the torture of Vahid Afkari. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49152'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1617554979010772993'> It has been 780 days since the arrest of Vahid Afkari and his stay in solitary. Announcing this, Saeed Afkari tweeted that in his last visit with his mother, his brother Vahid asked her: > Do you know the record for staying in solitary in Iran and the world? </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='51191'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1653764506261024769?s=20'> Saeed Afkari reminded in a tweet that the oppression of his family by the government is still going on. His father, Hossein Afkari, has been arrested in recent days by order of the Qazvin Prosecutor's Office. His sister, Elham Afkari, has been sentenced to prison for seeking justice after her brother Navid's execution and is serving her sentence under house arrest with electronic monitoring. Vahid Afkari, who is the second-row defendant in the controversial "Afkari brothers" case, has been in solitary confinement for 971 days. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='51822'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1664329204937248768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1664329204937248768%7Ctwgr%5Eac7fadc6454d4a5a328a84c65f12f3bb1d103042%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffeedly.com%2Fi%2Fmy'> A seconds-long video of Vahid Afkari was released in which he stands behind the visitation booth, makes a victory sign with his hands, and also displays a paper to the audience that reads: > The future does not belong to cowards. His brother, Saeed Afkari, while releasing this video, mentioned that his brother had been kept in solitary confinement for a thousand days. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='53011'> <reference source='https://www.iranintl.com/202306073680'> According to Iran International, referring to the passing of 1,000 days since Vahid Afkari's imprisonment in solitary confinement, the Deputy Spokesman of the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Islamic Republic to release Vahid Afkari and other Iranians arrested for exercising their human rights, including the right to freedom of expression. Referring to the sentence of 33 years in prison and 74 lashes against Vahid Afkari in an "unfair" trial", he said: > The treatment of Vahid Afkari is one of the hallmarks of Iran's judicial authorities, who are not interested in justice and are trying to terrorize civilians and protesters. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='52617'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/afkari_saeed/status/1671544398071341056?s=20'> Saeed Afkari wrote on his Twitter that following the release of a video of his brother, Vahid, their visits are under more "security" scrutiny and the visits will take place in the presence of several agents. Saeed Afkari also wrote in this tweet that when the family meets with Vahid, the agents close all the doors of the prison in addition to the doors of the meeting hall. Saeed Afkari recalled that Vahid Afkari has been in solitary for 1020 days, and said that June 21 is his brother's birthday. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>