On May 3, the world received an important but chilling update regarding the status of an Iranian citizen that has been held in Iranian prison without a trial in Iran for over 228 days.
Ben Weinthals story in the Jerusalem Post brought to light the Islamic Republic of Iran has given Vahid Afkari an ultimatum: confess to your crimes or you will be executed.
Many of those reading this article might not know who Vahid is and/or the importance of his pending execution. Vahid’s brother was Navid Afkari.
Last year, the Islamic Republic of Iran executed Navid for alleged crimes of playing a role in the uprising of 2019. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims that Navid confessed to the crimes he was charged with, but it’s widely known that this confession was made after being tortured for weeks.
Navid Afkari was sentenced to death for his alleged role in killing a security officer in Shiraz, Fars Province during summer 2018 protests in the province.
However, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), there is evidence that he did not commit the alleged crime and that he was tortured during interrogation into giving a false confession.
Before the Iranians executed Navid, they went public with this decision, for the world to see their plans. Many global leaders, most notably, the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump made a public appeal when he tweeted, "To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young man's life, and not execute him,"
This message from the former president was well received in the Iranian American community.
Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Fast forward to today. Iranians are setting the table for Vahid’s execution, just like they did last year with Vahid’s brother, Navid.
Has President Joe Biden issued a public statement on this like President Trump did?
Have he or his envoys said anything privately to Iran?
It's highly doubtful.
President Biden (aka "President Appeasement") is far more interested in turning a blind-eye to Iran’s well documented record of human rights abuses and the financing of terrorism than actually calling them out for the terrorists and misogynists they are.
Can the American people imagine a scenario where the U.S. Government would detain an American citizen for 228 days without a fair trial and then publicly execute them?
Of course they can’t.
That’s because in America, all are innocent until proven guilty and we have due process as well as the right to a fair trial, with an impartial jury.
These basic principles that all Americans have are nowhere to be found in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a recent Newsmax article, I wrote, "Why does the Biden administration continue to appease the Iranian Regime and how do you, the American people, stand to benefit from re-entering the The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and furthering this appeasement approach to the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism?"
The American people don’t stand to benefit whatsoever from any type of diplomacy with the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.
President Biden needs to issue a strong ultimatum to the Iranian Regime — either free Vahid Afkari or the U.S. walks away from the JCPOA, without ever looking back.
President Biden must get tough with the Iranian regime because our global future, and the future of the Iranian people depends on it.
How many more innocent Iranian citizens must be murdered before President Biden changes his stance towards Iran.
Bryan E. Leib is the Executive Director of Iranian Americans for Liberty. Formerly, he served as the National Director for Americans Against Antisemitism and in 2018, he was a GOP Endorsed Congressional Candidate (PA-03). He tweets at @Bryan_E_Leib. Read Bryan E. Leib's Reports — More Here.
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