Background and career
Navid Afkari Sangari (Persian: نوید افکاری سنگری; 22 July 1993 – 12 September 2020) was an Iranian wrestler who was sentenced to death and executed in Shiraz after being accused and convicted of murdering a security guard during the 2018 Iranian protests; sources from outside Iran also cited convictions on other charges related to Afkari's participation in the protests, while Iranian sources denied that the case had any connection to the protests. Afkari had filed a complaint with the Iranian judiciary, and stated in an audiotape recording that was smuggled from his prison, that his initial confession had been forced due to torture;
the Iranian judiciary denied the torture claims, and the Iranian state media broadcast a recording of the confession. There were worldwide calls for Afkari to be pardoned, including by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and by then U.S. president Donald Trump. Afkari's brothers, Vahid and Habib were sentenced to 54 and 27 years, respectively, in prison in the same case.
In September 2020, the United States blacklisted several Iranian officials and entities over alleged gross violations of human rights that also included Navid Afkari's execution.
