Vahid Afkari was arbitrarily arrested for his peaceful participation in protests in his hometown of Shiraz in 2017 and 2018. Slogans chanted at these protests expressed a mix of grievances about inequality and political repression.
Iranian authorities held him in solitary confinement, tortured him and forced him to “confess” to crimes he repeatedly said he did not commit. Vahid Afkari was convicted following grossly unfair trials of a baseless accusation involving murder and sentenced to 33 years and nine months’ imprisonment and 74 lashes. The authorities are holding him in solitary confinement, denying him adequate medical care and ignoring a large body of evidence proving his innocence.
Two of Vahid Afkari’s brothers – Navid Afkari and Habib Afkari – were also arbitrarily arrested in connection with their peaceful participation in the protests. On September, 12th 2020, the Iranian executed Navid Afkari in secret. His execution ignited outrage in Iran and throughout the world and led to escalated campaigning for his brothers. Habib Afkari was released from prison in March 2022.
Head of Judiciary,
Mr. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei
c/o Embassy of Iran to the European Union
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt No. 15
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Instagram: ejeii_org
Twitter: @khamenei_ir (Iran’s Supreme Leader)
Jailing protesters and organizers is a tactic of governments and authorities who are afraid of people’s power, intended to silence dissent and instill fear in the population to deter them from joining further protests. DOWNLOAD THE SAMPLE LETTER