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Dana White and US President Trump plead with Iranian government to not execute wrestler

Donald Trump Taps Dana White for RNC
Donald Trump Taps Dana White for RNC

UFC President Dana White and U.S. President Donald Trump are pleading with the Iranian government, asking them not to execute Iranian champion wrestler Navid Afkari.

The 27-year-old wrestler has been sentenced to death in Iran. The Iranian government claims that he murdered a security guard during protests in 2018. Afkari, his attorneys, and family say that he was peacefully protesting and that he confessed to the murder only under extreme torture by authorities.

Afkari's brothers, Vahid and Habib, were sentenced to 54 and 27 years in prison in the same case, according to human rights activists in Iran in a BBC report of the case.

White, in hearing of the sentence, reached out to President Trump, who is a personal friend of his, for help.

President Donald Trump tweets asking Iran to spare Navid Afkari's life

The President responded, at least in part, by tweeting, "Hearing that Iran is looking to execute a great and popular wrestling star, 27-year-old Navid Afkarai, whose sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets. They were protesting the 'country’s worsening economic situation and inflation'... To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young man’s life, and not execute him. Thank you!"

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1301627761715490817?s=20

White followed President Trump's plea with his own via his Instagram account

White posted a video, saying, "(Afkari) went to a peaceful protest in Iran and he's going to be executed for that. It was brought to my attention. This guy is, first of all he's a human being; number two: he's one of us. He could be any of my fighters. The only thing I thought to do was to call the President and see if he could help this man. He said, 'Let us look into it. Let me talk to the administration and see if there is something we can do to save his life.' So the President tweeted (a plea to the Iranian government).

"I would just like to say that I, too, respectfully and humbly ask the government officials in Iran to please not execute this man and spare his life."

White and Trump's pleas come on the heels of activists calling on the Iranian government to spare Afkari's life. There has also been a petition started that, at the time of publication, had contained nearly 16,000 signatures from across the globe.


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