Letter of the Parents of the Afkari Brothers: “Explain Why Our Children were Subjected to Solitary Confinement and the Conditions in which they were Tortured”
Vahid and Habib Afkari’s parents have published a letter addressed to the Prison Supervising Judge, objecting to their children being banned from visitation and kept in solitary confinement cells at the city of Shiraz’ Adelabad Prison, and are demanding that the judicial system explain these actions. In a passage of the letter, they state: “After being severely beaten, my children are still being kept in solitary confinement. If you are the one making the decisions, promptly send them to the General Ward, provide us with an explanation as to the reasons why our children are being subjected to solitary confinement and explain to us the conditions under which they were tortured.”
According to a HRANA News Agency report, quoting Emtedad, Navid, Habib, and Vahid Afkari’s parents wrote a letter to the Prison Supervising Judge, demanding that the judicial system explain why their two [remaining] sons are in solitary confinement and prohibited from visitation.
The following is the full text of the letter:
“Mr. Hashemi, the Adelabad Prison’s Supervising Judge,
My children, Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were taken to solitary confinement on September 3, and 5, 2020, after being severely beaten. For that reason, they asked that their complaint be heard, and the family also asked that their beating and torture at the hands of Ali Khadem-Alhosseini and the prison guard(s) be investigated. The Medical Examiner subsequently went to the Prison [and upon conducting an examination] recorded the wounds and injuries inflicted on my children, which were 17 counts on Navid and approximately 15 counts on Vahid and Habib.
Nothing has been done about this, however, after 47 days. The Office of Mr. Rezai Dana, Warden of Adelabad Prison, claims that the complaints have been registered by Mr. Rezai Dana; however, the investigating authority refuses to give us the date of registration of the complaint and the letter number.
In the event that the complaint has been entered, please provide us with the documentation to that effect so that we can conduct the necessary follow-ups. Additionally, please provide an explanation as to the delay in registering and entering the complaint, and if the complaint has not been registered at all, provide us with an explanation as to why the complaint was prevented from being entered.
Furthermore, my children are still being kept in solitary confinement even after they were severely beaten. If you are the one making the decisions, in addition to promptly sending them to the General Ward, provide us with an explanation as to the reasons why our children are being subjected to solitary confinement and explain to us the conditions under which they were tortured. And if you were not the one making the decisions, identify and tell us the official who has ordered you to take such actions.
October 2020.”
It must be noted that Navid and Vahid Afkari were arrested on September 17, 2018, and Habib Afkari was arrested on December 13 of that same year, in connection with the nationwide protests of August 2018. These individuals were beaten and tortured numerous times during interrogations in order to make a confession.
They were tried by the city of Shiraz’ Revolutionary Court as well as its Criminal Court. Navid Afkari was sentenced to two death sentences, 6 years and six months in prison, and 74 lashes; Vahid Afkari was sentenced to 54 years in prison and 74 lashes, and Habib Afkari to 27 years and 3 months in prison and 74 lashes.
Navid Afkari’s death sentence was ultimately carried out at Shiraz’ Adelabad Prison in the early morning hours of September 12, 2020.
In a comprehensive report published on August 28 of the current year, HRANA first reported on the sentences of death, imprisonment, and flogging issued for Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari, in which it also published the related documents.