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Iran executes man whose case drew international attention

Posted at 11:51 PM, Sep 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-12 23:51:03-04

BY AMIR VAHDAT, TEHRAN — Iran’s state TV is reporting that the country’s authorities have executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man.

The execution of Navid Afkari on Saturday came after President Donald Trump had recently asked for the 27-year-old condemned man’s life to be spared.

State TV quoted the chief justice of Fars province as saying the execution was carried out in a prison in Shiraz.

Afkari’s case drew the attention of a social media campaign that portrayed him and his brothers as victims targeted over participating in protests against Iran’s Shiite theocracy in 2018.

Authorities accused Afkari of stabbing a water supply company employee in Shiraz amid the unrest.