In a letter to the Shiraz prison judge, parents of Afkari brothers stated that their sons Vahid and Habib Afkari were taken to solitary confinement one week before the execution of Navid Afkari, and demanded their return to the general population after 47 days and told the judiciary officials to answer for the torture of their sons.

Navid Afkari was arrested along with his brothers Habib and Vahid during the 2018 countrywide protests in Iran which began with protests against the terrible economic conditions in the country and quickly turned into an anti-regime uprising in many cities across the country. Navid’s brothers, Habib and Vahid Afkari, were transferred to solitary at the same time as him and are still being kept in solitary after 47 days.

The letter states: “Our sons, Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were beaten and taken to solitary confinement in early September…the medical examiner visited the prison and documented their injuries and signs of torture on our children, 17 instances for Navid and around 15 for Habib and Vahid.”

“But after 47 days, no action has been taken and the authorities are denying us the case number and the date of the complaint,” the letter continues.

Parents of Afkari brother asked the prison judge: If you are the decision-maker, send them back to the general population immediately, and explain the reason for their solitary confinement and the condition of their torture.

Thousands of Iranian launched a Twitter campaign to save his life in the days preceding his execution, but the government carried it out in apparent haste. The social media condemnations continued and many human rights groups, athletic organizations and foreign government officials criticized the execution.

Navid Afkari initially received a death sentence for an “act of war against God” for his participation in protests, but in order to avoid a public backlash, he was also charged with the murder of a government employee along with his brothers and therefore received two death sentences, one for protests, and one for the alleged murder.

Afkari's attorney and many legal experts have repeatedly stated that the judiciary had no evidence to convict Navid for the murder, except for his confession which was taken under torture. Navid Afkari released a recorded file from prison in which he explained the severity of the tortures he suffered.

According to Navid Afkari’s family, when they received his body it was wrapped in a cloth and they were not allowed to see the body, but his face showed signs of battery, and his nose was broken.