US President Donald Trump has pleaded for Iran to spare the life of a ‘great and popular wrestling star’ condemned to death after being convicted of murder.
Navid Afkarai, 27, was found guilty of the ‘voluntary homicide’ of a water department worker in Shiraz, southern Iran, who was stabbed to death on August 2, 2018, according the judiciary’s Mizan Online news agency.
‘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,’ Trump tweeted in a rare direct appeal to the Iranian government.
To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young man’s life, and not execute him. Thank you!’ he tweeted, tagging a Fox News story on the wrestler and the UFC mixed martial arts organization and its president Dana White.
Trump is a longtime fan of watching various forms of wrestling and is close to Ms White.
However, he has taken an aggressive approach to longtime US foe Iran since becoming president, enacting crippling sanctions.Iran’s Supreme Court confirmed two death sentences for wrestler Navid Afkari (pictured) along with six years and six months in prison and 74 lashes. A state television-linked news agency said it was for the murder of a public servant
