Two days ago, son, brother, and athlete Navid Afkari was hastily and secretly killed by the Iranian judiciary in Adelabad prison in Shiraz without a fair trial, and without prior notice to himself, his family, or his lawyer. There is ample evidence that this young man was tortured and forced to confess to murder, and that his death sentence was carried out illegally.

The issuance and execution of heavy sentences, especially the death sentence against political and social activists in Iran, is incredibly destructive. It affects the entire Iranian society – both inside and outside of the country – and sends aftershocks into the generations that follow, just as the executions of past decades have continued to torment the conscience of Iranian society. The Iranian government must stop this destructive process as soon as possible, and stop killing young people.

We are heartbroken that in spite of overwhelming evidence pointing to a confession obtained under torture, the denial of a fair trial, and overwhelming international public outcry in his defense, another young life has been cruelly taken by the Iranian government.