Dr Thomas Bach, président
Comité International Olympique, CIO
Quai d’Ouchy 1 1006 Lausanne
Switzwerland

M. Nenad Lalovic, Président
United World Wrestling, UWW
Rue Du Château 6
1804 Crosier-Sur-Vevey
Switzwerland

 

Dear President Bach and President Lalovic

We, the undersigned, Iranian academics, journalists, writers, poets, lawyers, physicians, athletes, artists and human rights activists would like to thank you for your personal appeals to the leaders of the Islamic regime in Iran to prevent the killing of the young Iranian wrestler, Navid Afkari. We trust you are aware that the regime in Tehran defied all national and international appeals and hastily executed Navid by hanging, without even showing the mercy of allowing his family the last visit; There are rumors that he might have died under torture.  The security forces, fearful of public outcry and a large funeral, rushed to bury him in a village graveyard.

Navid had participated in the Fall 2018 peaceful protests against the regime, when he was arrested and accused of killing a security agent, a charge for which, according to his assigned lawyers, no evidence had been provided. During his two years of detention, he was forced to ‘confess’ to the crime under despicable torture. His two brothers were also tortured and forced to testify against Navid; each receiving 54 and 27 year prison sentences. In a leaked recorded message from prison, Navid reiterated his innocence and retracted his ‘confession’ under torture, and famously stated  “they are looking for a neck for their hanging rope”.

The Islamic regime, engulfed in deep economic, political and cultural crises, and fearful of another mass uprising, hopes that by escalating repression, killing protesters and instilling fear in the general public, it can prevent another revolt; hence, making an example of a popular national wrestling champion who dared to participate in a peaceful protest.  

Iranian sport federations, fearful of regime’s suppression, remained silent on this crime. We strongly believe that pressures from the international sport bodies, threatening the Islamic regime of the consequences of these brutal actions, would be an important step in protecting the rights and lives of other individuals who are languishing in prisons under the threat of execution. This is the only language that the Islamic regime understands. (Persian text)

Sincerely,


(in alphabetical order)

- Ervand Abrahamian, Professor Emeritus, City University of New York, USA
- Shahla Abghari, PhD, Professor of Microbiology, USA
- Javad Akbarein, journalist, political activist, France
- Reza Afshari, Professor Emeritus, Pace University, USA
- Nazanin Afshin-Jam، Human rights activist ،Co Founder Stop Child ExecutionsCanada
- Kazem Alamdari, Retired faculty, California State University, Northridge, USA
- Reza Allamehzadeh, Filmmaker, The Neatherland
- Kiaa Parsa Aalipour, Media Producer & Journalist, Canada
- Reza Alijani, political activist, France
- Nasrin Almassi, Journalist Editor, Toronto, Canada
- Shadi Amin, Coordinator, Iranian Lesbian and Transgender, Network, UK
- Mehdi Amin, Human Rights activist, Canada
- Shahab Amopour  screenplay writer and director, France
- Ali Arab, Associate Professor, Georgetown University, USA
- Darioush Arjmandi, political activist, Sweden
- Siavash Assadpour, Social Activist, Canada
- Khatereh Azarfar, VP of Information Technology, Ericsson, Canada
- Shahrzad Arshadi, Award winning artist, Montreal, Canada
- Mohammad Azizi, Community activist, Canada
- Vahid Badii , Journalist, Radio Pooya, USA
- Sohrab Behdad, Professor, Denison University, USA
- Behrooz Bayat, Physicist, Nuclear Analyst
- Jafar Behkish, Human Rights Activist, Toronto
- Roshanak Bigonah  poet. USA
- Shahriar Bakhshi, Canada
- Elahé Chokraie   Activiste feministe et Droit Humain, Canada
- Parvaneh Chokraie, Canada
- Darioush Danesh, USA
- Mehrdad Darvishpour, Lecurer, Associate Professor, Malardalen University, Sweden
- Kei Esmaeilpour, President of Civic Association of Iranian Canadians, BC, Canada
- Hossein Faraji, Journalist, TV anchor, USA
- Naghmeh Farazi, Physician, Canada
- Mansour Farhang, Professor Emeritus, Bennington College, USA
- Masoud Fathi, Webmaster, political activist, Austria
- Hamid Ghahremani , Human Rights Activist from Toronto .
- Shahram Ghanbari, political activist, France
- Parviz Ghlichkhani, political activist, former captain of Iranian National soccer team in three Olympics games, France
- Saeed Hariri, Moderator, Toronto Book Club, Canada
- Mehrdad Hariri, President of Canadian Science Policy Centre, Canada
- Afsaneh Hojabri, Writer, researcher, Canada
- Ramin Jahanbegloo, Professor, Vice Dean, Jindal Global University, India
- Siavosh Jalili, PMP, Montreal, Canada
- Jahanshah Javid, Editor, iroon.com
- Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, Associate Professor of Linguistics, University of Toronto
- Mehrangiz Kar, Lawyer, member of Iran Bar Assoc. and Human Rights writer, USA
- Amir Khadir, physician, and past member of the Quebec national assembly, Canada
- Daria Khadir , Architekte, Canada
- Nargess Kermanshahi, Human Rights activist, London UK
- Ali Keshtgar, editor, political activist, France
- Nasim Khaksar. writer. the Neatherland
- Ahmad Machouf  Medecin, Canada
- Anousheh Machouf  Psychologue, Canada
- Nima Machouf , Epidemiologiste, Canada
- Yalda Machouf - Khadir   Avocate, Canada
- Efat Mahbaz, Women’s Rights activist, former political prisoners, UK
- Ali-Akbar Mahdi, Professor Emeritus, Ohio Wesleyan University, USA
- Mahnaz Matin, Physician, France
- Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University, USA
- Siroos Mirzaei, Professor, Nuclear Medicine, Vienna
- Behrooz Moazami, Professor, Loyola University New Orleans, USA
- Zarrin Mohyddin, Human Right and Political activist, Canada
- Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
- Haideh Moghissi, Professor Emerita, York University, Canada
- Manijeh Moghisi, Canada
- Nasser Mohajer, Independent Scholar of Modern Iranian History, France
- Gazal Mojdehi, Lawyer, Canada
- Reza Moridi, former Minister and parliamentarian, Ontario, Canada
- Ahmad Naeni, Political activist, Canada
- Majid Naficy, PhD, poet, USA
- Ali Nadimi, Austria
- Hassan Nayeb-Hashemi, MD, Human rights defender, Vienna, Austria
- Massoud Noghrehkar , MD, Author, USA
- Farhad Nomani, Professor Emeritus, American University of Paris, France
- Nasser Pakdaman, Professor Emeritus, Tehran University, France
- Soheil Parsa, Artistic Director, Modern Times Stage Co. Canada
- Misagh Parsa, Professor, Dartmouth College, USA
- Kourosh Parsa, Ph.D, Human Rights and Political Activist, USA
- Koushyar Parsi. writer. The Neatherland
- Saeed Paivandi, Professor, University of Lorraine, France
- Babak Payami, Filmmaker, Canada
- Nasser Rahmaninejad, theatre director, USA
- Saeed Rahnema, Professor Emeritus, York University, Canada
- Farid Rohani, Honorary Lieutenant Clonel, BC, Canada
- Mahmood Rowghani, Canada
- Bahman Roudgarnia, Canadian Standard Academy, Canada
- Tara Saberpour, Community activist, Canada
- Shadi Sadr, Human Rights Lawyer, UK
- Kamnoosh Shahbi, Teaching Lab. Coordinator,U of T, Canada
- Bijan Shahmoradi, Human Rights activist, France
- Mohammad Safavi, Labour activist, Canada
- Shekoufeh Sakhi, independent researcher, Toronto
- Ali Sattari, Psychologist, Germany
- Bijan Shahmoradi, architect and cinéma productor, France
- Fereshteh Shirazi, MD, Psychiatrist, USA
- Shahram TabeMohammadi, Professor of Chemical Engineering, UofT, Canada
- Mohammad Tajdolati, Journalist, Canada.
- Mohamad Tavakoli, Professor, University of Toronto
- Nayereh Tohidi, Professor and Director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, California State University, Northridge, USA
- Mahdi Torabi Kia, Community activist, Canada
- Mehrdad Vahabi, Professor in Economics, University Sorbonne Paris Nord
- Ali Vakili, political activist, Canada
- Bobby Vakili, Barrister and Solicitor, Canada
- Maryam Yaghoubi, RN, USA
- Mohsen Yalfani, writer, France
- Babak Yazdi, Executive Director, Kanoun Khavaran, Canada
- Sholeh ZAMINI, Dipl. Ing. Women rights defender, Vienna, Austria
- Farrokh Zandi, Professor, York University, Canada
- Hassan Zerehi, Journal Publisher, Toronto, Canada