Habib Afkari

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2021-054-002
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2021
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 32.427908

Longitude: 53.688046

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Iran
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Special Procedures: Country
Dates of prior UN action
2020
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Male
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity
  1. It was reported to OHCHR that Messrs. Vahid and Habib Afkari, detained following their participation in protests, were placed in solitary confinement on 5 September 2020 (see A/HRC/47/22, para. 24) reportedly in retaliation for their family’s request for UN action on behalf of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, and to prevent them from sharing information about the circumstances of his execution, which followed a few days after the submission of the request, on 12 September 2020 (paras. 7, 22). The situation of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, who was accused of murder and allegedly tortured to confess, following his participation in protests in 2018,38 was raised by OHCHR and multiple special procedures mandate holders, who called his execution “deeply disturbing.”39
  2. In September 2020, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised concerns about the arbitrary execution of Mr. Navid Afkari. In addition to their prolonged solitary confinement, the brothers have reportedly been subjected to ill-treatment in detention. Their family members have also faced repeated threats and harassment for calling for an end to the brothers’ solitary confinement.
Type of rights defended
  • Accountability & impunity
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

participation in protests, family’s request for UN action on behalf of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, sharing information about the circumstances of his execution,

  1. In September 2020, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised concerns about the arbitrary execution of Mr. Navid Afkari. In addition to their prolonged solitary confinement, the brothers have reportedly been subjected to ill-treatment in detention. Their family members have also faced repeated threats and harassment for calling for an end to the brothers’ solitary confinement.
Engagement with UN body
  • UN Special Procedures: country
Dates of engagement
5 September 2020
Type of attempted engagement
  • Submission of information to UN
Dates of mentioned reprisals
12 September 2020
Location of mentioned reprisals
Iran
Reprisal information

participation in protests, family’s request for UN action on behalf of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, sharing information about the circumstances of his execution,

  1. In September 2020, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised concerns about the arbitrary execution of Mr. Navid Afkari. In addition to their prolonged solitary confinement, the brothers have reportedly been subjected to ill-treatment in detention. Their family members have also faced repeated threats and harassment for calling for an end to the brothers’ solitary confinement.
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Detention/Imprisonment: Detention/Imprisonment - General
  • Family/friends/acquaintances targeted
  • Physical attack: Torture/Cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
Yes
Which State raised the case at the UN and when?

In August 2021, BENELUX raised the case at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue with the Assistant Secretary-General on the report on reprisals for cooperation with the UN: 'To ensure accountability the Benelux wishes to express our particular concern about the following cases of reprisals: • In Iran, we draw attention to reprisals against Mr. Bakhtiari, Mr. Vahid and Mr. Afkari.'

How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
1
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2022
Follow up information provided in SG report 0
  1. The case of Messrs. Vahid and Habib Afkari was included in the 2021 report of the Secretary General. Messrs. Vahid and Habib Afkari were detained following their participation in protests, and placed in solitary confinement on 5 September 2020, reportedly in retaliation for their family’s request for United Nations action on behalf of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, and to prevent them from sharing information about the circumstances of his execution, which followed a few days after the submission of the request, on 12 September 2020. The situation of their brother, Mr. Navid Afkari, who was accused of murder and allegedly tortured to confess, following his participation in protests in 2018, was raised by OHCHR and multiple special procedures mandate holders.”
  2. On 25 June 2021, special procedures mandate holders addressed concerns about allegations of continued solitary confinement of Messrs. Vahid and Habib Afkari and about violations of due process and fair trial in connection with their sentencing, including the use of forced confessions as evidence and lack of investigation into torture allegations (IRN 18/2021). Reportedly, Mr. Habib Afkari was released on 5 March 2022 after having spent some 550 days in solitary confinement and a total of 3 years and 3 months in prison. His brother Mr. Vahid Afkari remains detained in Adelabad prison in Shiraz.
Followup Trends 0
Significant positive and negative developments
Date of follow up 0
25 June 2021
Did the government respond? 0
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
  • UN Special Procedures: Country
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • UN Special Procedures: UN Special Procedures - General