September 12, 2020
URGENT

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
Dear prime minister,

Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran (CFDI) strongly condemns the execution of Iranian political prisoner and wrestling champion, Navid Afkari

This morning, Navid Afkari, 27, an Iranian wrestling champion and political prisoner, was executed despite international pleas to spare his life. It appears that the regime is determined to prevent other uprisings by resorting to terror and mass execution. In an audio message, Mr. Afkari was heard saying: "There is not a shred of evidence in this damned case that shows I'm guilty. But they don't want to listen to us. I realized they are looking for a neck for their rope."

Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran strongly condemns Mr. Afkari's execution and sympathizes with his grieving mother. Indeed, as we predicted in our statement of August 5, 2020, following the execution of another political prisoner, Mostafa Salehi, this execution also follows the pattern of similar past disappearances by the judiciary headed by Ibrahim Raisi, a member of the "death committees" that perpetrated the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988.

The cycle of violence and terror against Iranian people by the regime, and silence by its backers and appeasers must stop. It appears that this is a cycle that sees the inaction of some Western powers as a green light to continue the egregious executions and massive human rights abuses with impunity.

The ball is now in Canada's court. As the lead sponsor of the UN resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran, Canada should:

-    Condemn with the strongest terms this act of cruelty and execution of Mr. Afkari;

-    Demand that Navi Afkari's brothers, as well as all political prisoners, be released immediately;

-    Use our Magnistky tool to name and shame and sanction top rights abusers, including the Judiciary Chief, Ibrahim Raisi, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.  It is bizarre that to date not a single Iranian official has been sanctioned under this law, while Iran is one of the only two countries listed as state sponsor of terrorism and with unparalleled list of rights abuses; and

-    Take advantage of the opportunity of the UN General Assembly resolution to finally end the impunity of Iranian leaders for the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. It is naïve not to link the impunity that Iran's leaders enjoyed after the mass killing of political prisoners in 1988 to continuing human rights violations and hundreds of inmates on death row.

Sincerely,

Hon. David Kilgour,  J.D.,
Co-Chair.