Calling on Athletes, Athlete Groups and Sport Leaders to Speak Up in Support of Iranian Wrestler Navid Afkari (UPDATE)

10 September 2020: Wrestling Athlete Navid Afkari was to be executed on 9 September 2020

for peacefully and publicly protesting the Iranian regime. However, Navid is believed to still be

alive in a high security prison. All communication from him has ceased, and his parents have

lodged a formal request for him to be medically examined for evidence of torture.

Today, Global Athlete is calling on:

• Athletes and athlete groups to continue to use their voice through statements and social

media to demand that the Iranian government immediately and permanently halt the

execution of Navid Afkari.

• National Olympic Committees to use their voice to demand an immediate and permanent

halt to the execution of Navid Afkari.

• Sport leaders, including the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling,

to put in place formal and public sanctions should Iran not cease its plans to execute Navid

Afkari.

As a sporting community we must stand shoulder to shoulder to support Navid Afkari. No one

should be beaten or executed for peacefully protesting, and Navid is being targeted because of

his high profile as an athlete. Sport has great power to make the world a better place, and athletes

and sport leaders must relentlessly speak up in support of Navid Afkari. Your voice matters.

We ask you to sign the Change.org Petition Save Navid’s Life and use the hashtag

#SaveNavidAfkari on social media.

A detailed overview of Navid Afkari’s case can be found

here: https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2020/09/death-sentence-for-champion-wrestler-basedon-false-evidence-torture-and-forced-false-confessions/

Global Athlete’s original release dated 8 September 2020.

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